Fate-profaned offering
by VitaVitaAR
Summary: The Holy Grail War. A free-for-all battle to the death between seven pairs of Masters and Servants. Matsushita Ai, at the behest of the organization that has cared for her for ten years, has been sent back to her birthplace to participate in such a clash. Together with her Saber-class Servant, Okita Souji, she will descend into a violent conflict in which there can be one victor.
1. Chapter 1

For once, it was a good thing that she had a habit of sleeping in late. Slowly, groggily, the brunette girl sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes weakly as she did as the morning light streamed in through the large windows. For once, she'd actually intended to sleep longer then usual. After all, she needed a lot of energy for what tonight would hold. It wouldn't do to have a poor night's rest. Blearily, the small-framed girl climbed out of bed, blinking her eyes weakly and taking in her blurry surroundings. After a moment, she slowly reached to her bedside desk and grasped her glasses, slipping them onto her face and adjusting them slightly as she did. Her room was well-furnished, her bed… expansive, to say the least. After all… this was her family's mansion.

The small brunette adjusted her glasses again and yawned, glancing at the mirror. Looking back at her was a pale girl, quite short and with a slim, small frame, flowing brown hair hanging down loosely to her waist, golden eyes half-closed with lingering sleep. Blinking, she shook her head, trying to wake herself up more. She was wearing rather loose silken pajamas… a small part of her reminded her that these same pajamas fit her exactly the same eight whole years ago.

It was hard to ignore that, as she self-consciously stared at her small, slender frame in the mirror.

As she went about her morning routine, slowly selecting her clothing for today and setting it on her bed, the girl reflected on how it felt… somewhat surreal to be back here. She hadn't lived in the mansion for years, and yet she was back here again, for something she never expected she would ever get involved in. In fact, it was only relatively recently that the short brunette had even learned of this event, of what she was to be participating in.

The very thought of it made her heart beat faster, her hands shaking slightly as her nerves began to get to her. But… no, no, she had to remain calm. She had to focus… she had no real hopes for herself, if she was being honest, but after she'd been asked like that…

She couldn't back down no matter how scared she was.

Instead, she chose to focus on her morning routine, as best as she was able. And so she proceeded to remove her sleepwear, placing it in her laundry bin, and making her way to her shower. As soon as she'd finished cleaning up for the morning, she dried off, dressed herself, and put her glasses back on. The routine felt mundane, something that was strange given what tonight would hold. It was difficult to reconcile the mundanity of her current actions with the nature of the coming night.

So, the girl tried not to think about it.

Instead, she adjusted the yellow short-sleeved shirt she'd picked out, brushing at her blue skirt. Regarding herself in the mirror again, she let out a weak giggle./div

"Eh-heheh… I don't look like the mistress of some fancy western mansion at all…" she commented to herself, averting her eyes from her own image. "I just look… forgettable."

The only thing that distracted her from this line of thought was the scent drifting up from downstairs. It took a few moments for her mind to catch up and recall the fact that she wasn't alone in this mansion. Ah, that's right… they'd provided her with housekeepers. A pair, to keep up with her meals and other such matters while she handled… it…

The small girl hugged herself, then took a deep breath.

Matsushita Ai made her way from her room, and downstairs. It was still hard to get used to, being back in her family home again… she ran her right hand along the banister as she made her way down. The familiar feeling of the smooth wood under her fingers… that was something she hadn't forgotten, at the very least.

As the small girl made her way to the very bottom of the stairs, she paused for only a moment, before turning left and making her way towards the dining hall. At least she could easily remember where that was located. Ai had been in the family mansion for three days now, and while some things still felt unfamiliar that didn't mean that she wasn't able to navigate it.

It had been her home once, too, after all.

Indeed, the smell of cooking food was stronger now. From here, she could detect different scents… the smell of bacon, crisp and sizzling, soft and fluffy pancakes, and golden scrambled eggs… It was a western-style breakfast, and that was hardly something she was going to complain about.

Even if she'd had an objection for some unfathomable reason, she never knew what to say to those maids anyway. She knew if she'd attempted to do anything like that, the words would have become caught in her throat and died there.

"Ah, ojou-sama," one of the maids spoke, entering the dining hall from the kitchen, on the opposite end of the room. It was a long, large room, with a great dark wood table clearly designed to seat many guests. Part of Ai's mind had declared this a waste, as no-one would come to be her guest anyway. "I was just about to wake you."

Both maids were completely identical. Of course, they were taller then her… most people over the age of ten years old were. Even thinking about that fact nearly put a hole in Ai's heart, but she tried not to think about it. Each made had long, white hair, pink eyes, and slender bodies. Ai couldn't say they weren't pretty, at least, though that plain expression and neutral tone of voice was a little strange…

The maid she was looking at was named Charlotte.

It only possible to differentiate Charlotte from the other maid due to the black hair clip being on the opposite side of her hair. Ai hoped they never switched, as it would feel incredibly embarrassing to call one by the name of the other./div

"Ah… w-well, um…" the brunette hesitated for a moment, "I got up already so we don't need to…"

This time, she caught sight of a faint smile on Charlotte's lips. It seemed like both maids enjoyed their job, at least…

"Very good, ojou-sama," she commented, with a bow. "Marianne is just finishing your breakfast. I shall serve it to you in a moment."

With that, she vanished back into the kitchen.

Ai stood in silence, watching the door shut. She wasn't used to having maids. But that was one of the few good things about this situation… except the fact that she had to talk to them. What could she really say…?

As she sat down at the head of the long, dark table, she glanced at the back of her right hand.

The intricate red symbol that marked it had grown more vivid than ever./div

It was as if it knew what tonight held.

Tonight, she would be summoning her Servant.

For soon would it begin.

The Holy Grail War.

* * *

"The Holy Grail War?"

The room was brightly lit, as Ai sat quietly on the velvet seat. In front of her was a large desk, upon it sitting various trinkets associated with magecraft. A crystalline orb, various gems… she wasn't one to consider their purpose very much, even if she was a magus herself. Flanking the room were bookshelves that reached the ceiling, stocked with an immense amount of volumes. Grimoires and other texts relating to magecraft…

Across from her at the desk sat a very familiar figure.

"Er… I don't know very much about it," Ai began, "Um… why did you call me here, Tsukada-san…?"

Tsukada leaned forward, her elbows on the desk and her fingers steepled in front of her face. She was a serious woman with a stern expression, hair pulled back tightly into a bun, clad in a navy blue suit and matching skirt. She had purple eyes, with black hair, and… well, she was very pretty. Ai had known her for most of her life, at this point, and she'd never really gotten over just how pretty Tsukada Hiyori was.

Not that Ai could ever bring herself to mention such a thing in front of her.

"You've heard of it before, haven't you, Matsushita-san?" Tsukada asked, "The battle between magi for the sake of obtaining the holy grail."

"Er…" Ai hesitated for a moment, "… A little, I know it's fought through the use of familiars… and that no-one's… actually obtained the Holy Grail before, eh-heheheh…"

It wasn't something she had ever put much research into prior. Admittedly, the bulk of her research had been in terms of advancing her own magecraft. The small brunette couldn't deny that she'd been rather myopic when it came to such things. That wasn't to say she had never learned of anything outside of her relatively narrow area of focus, it was simply that her knowledge in other areas was rather shallow.

"That's correct, but it's a rather shallow understanding," responded Tsukada. Ai winced, slightly. It felt like she was being tutored again. "To begin with, while technically true, calling Servants 'familiars' fails to convey what they really are."

Ai sat silently for a few moments. She didn't understand why she was being told about all of this, but she decided not to question it, for the moment./div

"A Servant is a Heroic Spirit summoned into one of seven class containers," the black-haired woman continued, "A figure from humanity's history granted a new body composed of mana, bound by contract to one of the Masters participating in the Holy Grail War. But I'm certain you were already aware of the nature of Heroic Spirits, correct?"

The older of the two magi gave the younger a somewhat stern look.

"Y-yes!" cried Ai, before she could think. It was true! … Sort of… she knew of them! That had to count!

"Good," replied Tsukada, "Seven Heroic Spirits are summoned into seven class containers by seven Masters. Then the battle is waged to obtain the Holy Grail."

Ai fidgeted for a moment, before opening her mouth to try and ask just why she was getting a lesson on the Holy Grail War, but Tsukada cut her off when she opened her drawer and drew from it what looked like a sword-wielding chess piece.

"Saber."

She placed the piece down.

"Archer."

Next was a piece wielding a bow.

"Lancer."

A spear-wielding knight.

"Rider."

A knight gripping reigns.

"Berserker."

A mad, horned beast.

"Caster."

A hooded figure gripping a long staff.

"Assassin."

A masked figure wielding knives.

The chess pieces had been aligned, starting with Saber and ending with Assassin, on the desk in front of Tsukada.

"These are the seven Servant classes, each with its own traits, advantages, and disadvantages," the suit-clad woman continued. Ai stared blankly. Was… this some kind of lesson? But why? "For example, Saber is considered the strongest fighter, but is usually straightforward in their approach. Assassin, on the other hand, is typically much weaker, but can use a variety of skills relating to subterfuge. A Master must know how to use their Servant's capabilities to their fullest."

Tsukada gave Ai another look, as if to ensure she was listening. Frantically, the small brunette nodded. She had been, but she was scared of failing to look as if she'd been paying attention more than anything else.

"To attain victory, a Master and Servant pair must simply be the last to remain standing," added Tsukada, "By any means necessary. Eliminating all the enemy Servants is obvious, but contracts can be reforged by remaining Masters. Therefore…"

The silence hung for a moment. Ai knew what was being implied, but she didn't really like it… nor could she understand why she was being told these things.

"… Of course, such a thing isn't necessary. Merely eliminating the enemy Servants is enough," Tsukada concluded. "As long as only one Servant remains, the winning Master can claim the Holy Grail."

Fidgeting, the brunette magus finally managed to collect herself enough to ask what had been on her mind the entire time.

"Er… why are… why are you telling me this…?" Ai asked, finally, hands clasped together on her lap. "I… I don't really know what any of this has to do with me…"

For a few moments, Tsukada paused, before resuming her explanation.

"The Holy Grail is an omnipotent wish-granting device," she said, leaning back in her seat, "But more importantly, it can be used to form a path to the Root."

Akasha. The Root of All Knowledge. The Spiral of Origin. The ultimate goal of a magus was to reach Akasha, and if the Holy Grail could be used to make a hole to the Root… well, that explained why Tsukada was talking about it in the first place. But that didn't answer Ai's real question: Why was Tsukada telling her?

"Naturally, this is a prize few magi could possibly pass up. The ultimate goal of a magus is so close, one must simply claim victory to obtain it," the black-haired woman proceeded, "Naturally, I'm certain you understand why we would want it, now."

Ai nodded slowly. That much she understood, but…

"B-but… you haven't explained what it has to do with me…"

Tsukada sighed.

"The Holy Grail War occurs every fifty years, normally," she began, "But this time it's come early. We don't know exactly why, but that's beside the point. If we want to participate, we need a Master to enter the war on behalf of our group. I assume you understand now?"

"… Er… n-" Ai cut herself off. Realization dawned on her in an instant. The reason she was being educated about the Holy Grail War was because she was expected to fight in it?! "W-wait, that's… Eh?! E-eeehhh!? B-b-but… But… I'm… I'm not a fighter! I'm not even… I'm not even a good magus, I-I…"

Tsukada folded her arms under her chest.

"Are you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "While you may not be the most versatile magus, you have a large number of high quality magic circuits. Out of the members of our organization who are actually available, you have the best capacity for supplying a Servant with mana. Not only that, but you own property in the town the war is taking place in."

Ah, the Matsushita mansion… but Ai hadn't been back there in years. She'd been living at a high-class apartment close to their group's Japanese base of operation… she knew in the coming years she was expected to go to Britain, and that thought scared her.

But not as much as this did.

"… I-I haven't lived there i-in so long…" the small brunette said, averting her eyes… "A-and there's no way I could fight like th-that… A-and… being a Master to a Servant, I…"

"We'll supply you with housekeepers and bodyguards," Tsukada added, "… Besides, have you forgotten what our organization has done for you, Matsushita-san? You may not be the most skilled of magi, but your abilities are still worth consideration. Not only that, but your circuits are certainly effective enough to fuel even Servants who consume large amounts of mana."

What they'd done for her… Ai opened her mouth, and hesitated. They'd been responsible for her education… they helped her keep ahold of her family's estate, they'd done almost everything for her. And now they were asking for something in return. But… fighting in the Holy Grail War… The mere thought scared her. Would a Servant even listen to her? Why would they? She wasn't commanding or anything like that at all. She barely even existed. Would they even notice that she was there? They were all famous figures from the past, so how could they even care about her if they even did notice?

But… how could she refuse when the organization was responsible for her entire life? Would she even have become a magus at all without their assistance? They had helped her for so long, and only now were they asking for anything in return.

"… We've already obtained a catalyst for summoning your Servant," continued Tsukada, "We'll have to work quickly to ensure the Grail selects you as one of the Masters."/div

Ai fidgeted.

"I… I see…"

"We've made all the arrangements for your support," continued the black-haired woman, "So you needn't worry about that. Your housekeepers will handle your daily routine, so you can focus all your efforts on obtaining victory for our organization."

The small brunette sagged weakly. Everything had already been planned. They knew she wouldn't be able to decline, so they hadn't bothered waiting for her answer. They'd just hone ahead and arranged everything without her.

There really wasn't any way she could get out of this.

"… Wh-who am I going to summon…?" Ai asked, weakly, staring down into her lap.

"The catalyst is for a Servant of the Saber class," answered Tsukada, "A skilled samurai. Not the most powerful of Servants, but his skill should bridge the gap. Additionally, as we're in Japan, he'll be gaining advantages due to being summoned in his homeland."

That… sounded at least a little promising. But how was she going to ever be able to command a samurai? Maybe if he just got left to his own devices it would all work out… She hoped that was the case. Her mind couldn't help but conjure images of some scary, tall, intimidating man with a huge katana, looking ready to kill the first person who looked at him wrong. At least he would be honorable, right? That much could be said, even if he was really scary, right? At this point, that's all that Ai could hope for.

There was no way for her to escape from her participation in the Holy Grail War. Deep down, she knew that she had almost no chance of winning. That terrified her. Everything about this plan terrified her. But she couldn't do anything about it. Not when everything had already been arranged for her. All she could do now was try.

And fail. But… she had to try.

"… I'll… go pack my things…" she said, morosely.

Tsukada smiled at her.

"Good luck."

* * *

The memory of how she came to be here stirred fear in Ai's heart, even as she sat waiting for breakfast. It was tonight… tonight she was to summon her Servant. A Saber-class samurai Servant… she had no real hope she'd be able to give him any kind of orders he would take seriously. After all, he would be a lot more familiar with combat then herself, wouldn't he? Taking orders from her wouldn't make any sense. In fact, maybe that was what the brunette should tell him. Completely ignore her and do whatever it is he felt he needed to in order to win. That was going to be a lot more successful then anything she could come up with. Ai felt certain that was an unquestionable fact.

There was no way they could win if she was giving the orders.

Ai was pulled out of her doubts when the kitchen door suddenly opened. Marianne was identical to her twin, aside from the fact that she wore her hairclip on the opposite side, and her maid uniform, rather than being western, was a kimono with a kappougi. That, and her demeanor was rather different from her sister's.

"Good morning ojou-sama~" declared the maid, cheerfully, holding a platter in one hand, "I decided you might like a western breakfast today~!"

Happily, the maid placed the platter down in front of her. Before her eyes were golden scrambled eggs, thick, fluffy pancakes, and crisp-but-chewy bacon. One thing the small brunette could definitely say she appreciated about having maids was Marianne's excellent cooking. She typically prepared more Japanese-style meals, but today it seemed like she had decided otherwise.

The less said about Charlotte's cooking, however, the better.

"Um, thank you, Marianne-san," replied, Ai, smiling weakly.

"Fufu, enjoy~" declared the maid, turning on her heel before proceeding back into the kitchen without another word.

… Except for the fact that she was obviously peeking around the door to see how Ai reacted to the food.

"Itadakimasu," Ai declared, before picking up her fork and taking a bite of the scrambled eggs.

… Ah… that flavor… it just melted in her mouth… ah, and the bacon, it was the perfect proportion of crispness and chewiness… the pancakes were so fluffy and sweet…

Soon enough, Ai had forgotten her worries for the moment, devouring her breakfast as if she'd never eaten before.

She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until this moment, but the moment she'd actually tasted the food she realized that she was completely starving. And it was absolutely delicious.

Marianne's meals always were. Ai was used to, well… much less high-quality food that was easy to prepare, to say the least, aside from occasional meetings with other organization members. They were usually stocked with much higher-quality meals. But for the most part, she wasn't used to such delicious food. The first time she'd tried Marianne's cooking, it was almost overwhelming.

Soon enough, Ai had cleaned her plate. It was like she hadn't eaten in days, but she'd eaten dinner last night. It was proof of the quality of Marianne's cooking, in the end.

"Haah… if… if there's anything good about this, it's Marianne-san's cooking…" the small brunette commented to herself, leaning back in her seat.

"Ojou-sama, you should prepare for today's lessons," came Charlotte's voice from behind her.

"Oh, um, right…" Ai mumbled, sitting up slowly in her seat… until she realized just what the more stoic of the two maids had said to her. "T-t-today's lessons!?"

"Of course, ojou-sama~" declared Marianne, playfully, as she sidled up beside her twin sister and smiled down at down at the short girl, "The organization provided you with everything you needed to properly transfer into the local high school! After all, the final year of your education is no less important~"

"B-but… but…" Ai stammered. Why?! This was insane! She had something so important on her mind, and yet she still had to attend high school classes? Whose idea was this?! She'd even slept in late to prepare… "I… I have to focus on the Grail War, d-don't I!?"

The girl's braided pigtails swayed as she trembled in her seat.

"Of course, ojou-sama," Charlotte replied. Marianne quickly took over for her.

"That's right, you're here for the Grail War!" the cheery maid declared, thrusting one fist into the air, "But it's important to maintain appearances. It's not just that you should finish up your education, it's because you shouldn't make it too obvious why you're here!"

Maintain appearances? Ai shifted awkwardly. Couldn't she just maintain the appearance of a shut-in rich girl? It was the easiest thing for her to do, after all…

"Besides, you were enrolled in high school before, weren't you?" Marianne asked, brightly, "It would be strange if you didn't transfer, right?"

Ai slumped forward onto the table. Charlotte deftly removed the plate to avoid a collision.

"Waaah… I didn't think I'd have to keep up with classes, too…" the brunette practically moaned, despairing at her situation. This was just getting even worse… it wasn't enough that she had to deal with the terrifying nature of the Grail War, it wasn't enough that she had to summon a Servant who had no reason to listen to her… but now she had to get used to a new school filled with new people and keep up with her lessons and her homework as well… it was crazy. Why did it have to be like this? It was way too much for her to handle…

"Cheer up, ojou-sama!" the more expressive of the two maids declared energetically, patting the small brunette on the head, "I'll make something extra special for you when you get back home~!"

Slowly, Ai sat up… what did she mean?

"Extra… e-extra special?" she asked, weakly.

"Something nice and sweet, fufu~" answered Marianne, placing one oversized sleeve to her mouth as she chuckled. "But I don't want to ruin the surprise~"

After a moment of hesitation, Ai got to her feet. It wasn't as if she had much of a choice in this matter anymore, anyway…

"… F… fine, I'll go…" the small girl mumbled, shifting from one foot to the other as she did. It was scary… but ultimately, the Grail War was far more frightening then having to go to school.

The rest of her routine went relatively smoothly. Her maids presented her with her uniform, which was a fairly typical sailor outfit, colored black and white with a red ribbon, and she changed out of her casual wear. When she fumbled with the ribbon, Charlotte stepped in to help her tie it.

It wasn't something Ai was used to, and she blushed and mumbled to herself when she looked away from the maid. Moments later, she was finished, and Marianne happily handed Ai's schoolbag to her. Moments later, they were bidding her farewell as they ushered her out the door.

It was a warm summer's day, at least, even though it was still fairly early. That probably meant it would get hot at midday… Ai's shoulders sagged as she walked. At least Takahashi High School wasn't very far… The morning sunlight made the walls and nearby houses cast long shadows across the sidewalk and into the street. Really, there weren't many people around in this area of town right now. It felt strangely isolated to her. Admittedly, if she'd run into anyone right now she would have had no idea what to say or do, so that was likely for the best at this rate.

The small brunette clutched her bag more tightly as she walked. She was going to have to deal with all these new people… she was going to have to introduce herself… Ai was already nervous knowing that she had to try and summon her Servant tonight, so all of this served only to make her feel like she was on the verge of panic even more. The short girl tried to take a deep breath and calm herself, but images of the tall, intimidating samurai she was going to summon rose again in her mind, and she found it difficult to take another step forward.

Indeed, Ai found herself stopping dead in her tracks and almost gasping for air after a moment, her heart hammering in her chest. This was… Aaaah, why did everything have to be like this? She was so scared of what the coming days would hold, how was she supposed to go to school like it was nothing? She couldn't understand it.

Maybe if she just kept her head down no-one would notice her…

Ai slapped her cheeks, trying to snap herself out of her worries, and spurred herself forward. Right. That's all she had to do. Keep her head down, the teachers would likely not even call on her, right? No-one would try to talk to her. That would mean she could focus on the far more terrifying and important matter of the Grail War rather then worrying about… anything else…

… But what if someone tried to talk to her because they thought she'd be a good friend? What if… ah, no, those concerns weren't the worries of a magus. The small brunette had to push them out of her mind and focus.

She was here for a reason.

Even if she was scared, Ai had to keep that in mind. After all… she was here because of what the organization had done for her. She had to try at least, right?

Eventually, the high school came into view. It was a… fairly average building, there wasn't anything particularly special about it at all, though the small brunette could see other students filtering in as she approached the door. She just kept her head down and tried not to look at any of them. She was in class 7B, and thankfully it didn't take very long for her to find her way there and meet with the homeroom teacher.

"Ah, Matsushita-san," she began. The teacher was remarkably pretty. A well-kept young woman with long, amber-colored hair a ponytail, wearing a professional-looking suit. "I'll call you in to introduce yourself soon."

Ah…

"… Y… yes…"

The only major hurdle to her plan of trying not to interact with anyone was the fact that she had to introduce herself… though…

Maybe if she made a good introduction, everyone would just treat her normally and she wouldn't have to worry about it? If the other students made friends with her and thought she was just a regular girl, no-one would expect her true purpose here, right? Maybe just ignoring everyone wasn't the best plan! At the very least this line of thought made sense in her head… and it did get her mind back off of the summoning.

Needless to say, there were few options that didn't make her nervous, but she felt less panicked thinking about how she was going to handle her introduction then the idea of summoning a legendary samurai, so that was something at least.

Soon enough, her teacher vanished into the classroom. For a short while, Ai waited in silence, feeling her heart hammering in her chest. As long as she made a good introduction, though, everything would work out just fine, right?

… Ah, now she heard her name called…

Now was the time. Ai did her best not to simply slowly shuffle into class, and faced her fellow students.

All eyes were on her. She had to introduce herself right. She had to do a good job. Nothing would seem strange if she did, right? Of course. So she had to do a good job.

Shakily, she took a piece of chalk and scrawled her name on the blackboard. Almost immediately, she winced. While it was legible, the kanji composing her name looked like they were being written by someone on a sugar high, the lines wobbly from how much she was trembling. But… but at least they could read it!

Taking a deep breath, the girl turned to face the students again. They were all looking at her. All of them.

"… M… M… M-Matsushita A-Ai…"

It was all she could get out.

The teacher, Hayashi-sensei, directed her to a seat on the left-hand side of the classroom, near the middle, and she sat in silence. Around here, she could hear her fellow students wondering if she was the same Matsushita that owned that mansion… and it didn't make her feel any better. For a brief moment, she had hoped maybe she could talk to someone, but now she was simply being talked about.

The rest of the day proceeded in a rather uneventful fashion. Nothing in particular happened, at least not until lunch.

Just as Ai was preparing to get her lunchbox out and set it on her desk, she felt it jolt as if something had bumped into it and sat up quickly. Across from her was another girl who had pushed her desk against Ai's. She had short, black hair, a light tan, and green eyes. She was cute, in a tomboyish kind of way./div

"Mind if I eat with you?" she asked, with a smile.

Wordlessly, Ai's mouth opened and shut several times. Why did this random girl want to eat with her? It was really abrupt and out of no-where, and why would anyone want to hang around her for lunch anyway?

"… You looked like you might be kind of lonely," the girl continued, without waiting for a response, her own lunchbox being placed on the desk, "And besides, I'm the student council president, so it's important that I get to know all my fellow students, right?"

Ah… she was student council president? Ai fumbled a little bit, trying to remember if she'd seen the girl's name at some point previously.

"I'm Inoue Tsubaki," the lightly tanned girl introduced herself, with a smile, "It's nice to meet you, Matshushita-san."

"I… um… y-yes… I mean, it's nice to meet you, too!" Ai scrambled to try and respond, "U-um… um…"

Tsubaki gave her a sympathetic look.

"It's alright," she began, "I understand if you're feeling nervous. It's your first day at a new school, so it's no surprise that you're going to be a bit on edge, right?"

Ai couldn't find any words to respond to her, so she just nodded, silently placing her lunchbox on her desk as well. It had been prepared by Marianne, too… when she opened it, she was greeted with the sight of crispy, tempura shrimp, rice, a sliced, hardboiled egg, and a few assorted fruits.

"Oooh, that looks good," commented Tsubaki, with a smile.

"Ah… um…" Ai trailed off for a few moments, fidgeting, "Um… one of my m-maids made it…"

One of your maids?" she asked, tilting her head, "So you really are the same Matsushita that moved into that mansion, huh?"

Oh… oh no, she'd let something like that slip out? The small brunette trembled. Now she was going to get too much attention… someone was finally talking to her and it was overwhelming. But if she didn't focus on this, all she could think of was the Grail War, and that was even more frightening.

Instead of responding, she decided to eat one of her shrimp instead. Immediately, she was greeted with the taste of crisp, crunchy breading, and tender, juicy meat… for a moment, a look of bliss crossed her face.

"Wow…" commented Tsubaki, "So it tastes just as good as it looks, huh."

The black-haired girl opened her own box, revealing a more simple meal of rice, hotdogs cut like octopi, and orange slices. "Mine's not too impressive compared to yours, to be honest."

"U-um…"

Ai shifted in her seat for a few moments, trying to figure out just what she was going to say.

"… Th-the hotdogs are cute…" she finally mumbled. She had to say something, right? This girl was being nice to her, so she should be nice in return…

"I'm glad you think so, at least," replied Tsubaki. "Haah… don't feel too bad about the way people are talking, by the way. It's not very often that anything exciting happens around here, so a new transfer student is a bit of a big deal. So don't worry about it. They'll relax in a day or two."/

Nothing exciting happened around here, huh…? That was going to change soon, that was for sure…

It wasn't very reassuring, to be honest, but Ai did her best to look optimistic. Besides, the fact that the other students were curious about her, while it was awkward to say the least, was really the least of her worries in the coming days. Of course, considering that fact didn't actually help sooth her nerves at all, but she was trying at least.

"I'm sure that you'll get used to your new school soon, okay? So, don't worry, Matsushita-san," added Tsubaki, continuing her attempt at comforting the other girl. "Soon enough, I bet you'll fit right in!"

"Eh-heheh…"

he only response to that was a weak laugh. She had no illusions about fitting in anywhere, even if she wanted to, and in the end she was going to be doing things that no other student in the entire school would possibly be thinking of.

… Wait… if she was one of the Masters in this Holy Grail War, did that mean other students could be? She hadn't thought about that until this moment, but it was possible, wasn't it? That another student at this high school could be a Master in this war. Ah… that made the whole thing even more complicated and terrifying! If that was the case, then how was she possibly going to figure it out?!

"… Are you okay, Matsushita-san?" Tsubaki asked, tilting her head, "You seem a bit pale."

Almost immediately, Ai dug back into her food.

She had to try not to panic… and the delicious tempura shrimp was quickly taking her focus, at least…

Realizing how this may have looked somewhat strange, Ai swallowed her current mouthful.

"Um, no… I just r-realized how hungry I was, eh-heheh…"

"Ohh, I see, I see," the black-haired, tanned girl replied, nodding, "I know that feeling too, when you don't realize how hungry you are until you actually start eating. Then you suddenly can't hold back!"

"Um… y-yeah," said Ai in response. To be honest she did know that feeling, even if it wasn't the reason behind her suddenly choosing to bury herself in her food as abruptly as she could. Inoue Tsubaki seemed like she was nice, at least… even though the small brunette truly had no idea what to actually say to her. At least she seemed to be good at making small talk, even if Ai herself wasn't in the slightest.

"Exactly," Tsubaki gave her bright response, "And you always end up eating a lot more then you thought you would in the first place. It's like you haven't eaten for days!"

Ai nodded weakly. The student council president was just trying to be nice and get to know her, but this was too much to deal with. The small brunette shuddered in her seat as she kept eating, trying to figure out something, anything, that she could say in response./div

"… A-all… all my meals have been pretty good recently, too…" she said, finally, though she failed to actually look at the other girl as she spoke, "S-so… so I've been eating pretty well, um…"

"That's good!" declared Tsubaki, cheerfully, "A healthy diet is the way to a healthy future, after all!"

Healthy diet, huh…? Ai couldn't help but think back on her usual, rather unhealthy meals on that note. Prior to gaining the services of Marianne and Charlotte(mostly Marianne, in this case), her typical choice of food was decidedly not healthy. It wouldn't kill her, but it wasn't doing her any favors. She just went for whatever was easiest to make up until now. After all, her own cooking ability was nonexistent. Magecraft? She had little confidence in herself, but she would at least do it well enough according to the other members of the organization. Cooking? An insurmountable task she would never attempt ever again.

"Um… yeah, that's… that's true… eh-heh…" the small brunette responded, nodding weakly as she did. The thought that one of her fellow students could potentially be a Master in the Holy Grail War slowly resurfaced in her mind, but she was able to dismiss Tsubaki herself fairy quickly from the initial list of possible Masters, at least. Not that she had actually learned anyone else's name, but it seemed quite unlikely that the student council president would be participating in something like that./div

If nothing else, Ai was certain the girl before her wasn't an enemy Master.

Soon enough, both girls had finished their lunch. Tsubaki shot to her feet, slid her desk back into its original position, and waved.

"Gotta run! Talk to you later!" she said, cheerfully, before rushing off. Casually, Ai noted she was wearing black shorts under her skirt.

… But more importantly… 'talk to her later'? Ai felt conflicted over this. On one hand, someone actually wanted to talk to her. On the other, she didn't understand why. After all, the short brunette wasn't a very good conversationalist. But regardless, she soon packed up her lunchbox and placed it into her bag.

The rest of the day went mostly as the first half did. Nothing much happened, as Ai's teachers went along as normal, giving their lessons without much variance. She didn't have any real opinion on any of them yet, not only because she hadn't had much experience with them yet but because her mind was, to be honest, elsewhere. It was hard to focus on her lessons knowing what would be happening tonight, knowing what would be coming in the next few days.

She almost didn't realize that the bell had rung, until the other students started to clean up the room and get ready to go. Soon enough, the school day had ended.

But Ai was still consumed by her worries. So consumed, in fact, that she didn't notice when she bumped right into someone.

"Hawawa-s-sorry!" she cried, backing up and clutching her bag to herself. The person she'd collided with paused for a moment, then turned on his heel./div

He was a fairly good-looking boy, hands in his pockets, with short, dark red hair.

"Ah… no, it's fine, it's fine," he commented. Ai relaxed, but only a little.

"Hmmm…" he began, "You must be that new transfer student, then, huh?"

"Ah? Um… y-yes…" Ai replied, before quickly trying to go on her way around him, "I-I'll see you-"

He stepped into her way almost immediately.

"I thought so… Matsushita-san, then," he continued, smiling down at her. When she tried to go the other way, he stepped into her path once more. "I'm Natsuki Yukihiro. It's nice to meet you, especially since you're so cute."

"… Er…" Ai averted her eyes. Why wouldn't he just let her pass? "Um… i-it's nice to meet you, but I need to go…"

Suddenly she found herself being backed into the wall. Before she could try and move away, Yukihiro's hand slammed down beside her, and he leaned towards her.

"Hey, why do you have to be like that?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. Ai's eyes widened. What was with him? Why? She just wanted to go home, she didn't want to talk to him or anything… "Any other girl in the school would be happy to hang out with me, so why-"

"Oi, Natsuki-san," a familiar voice came from the left. Both Ai and Yukihiro looked up, and there, in the hall, was Tsubaki.

"Are you going to stop harassing the transfer student, or am I going to have to call a teacher down here?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"… Tch."

Shoving his hands back into his pockets, the redheaded boy took a step back.

"… Come talk to me later, when Inoue's not hanging around," he said, before walking off with one last glare towards the black-haired girl.

That… certainly wasn't likely… Ai hugged her bag tighter, and Tsubaki quickly approached her.

"Hmph… that bastard," she complained, "Just because he takes advantage of his popularity with the first-year girls, he thinks he can strongarm any girl into a date."

She let out a sigh.

"Are you okay, Matsushita-san?" she asked, "He's a jackass, but he's too much of a coward to try anything. If he bothers you again, come and tell me."

After a few moments of silence, Ai nodded. If she even saw him again, she'd tell Tsubaki… everything about Natsuki Yukihiro had creeped her out, even ignoring how pushy and forceful he was being. She didn't want to ever see him again, let alone talk with him.

"Want me to walk you home?" Tsubaki volunteered, to Ai's surprise. Why? She actually wanted to walk her home? It… she didn't know what to say or do, hugging her back tightly as she looked down at her feet. What was she supposed to say? The small brunette didn't want to be anywhere near Yukihiro ever again, but she hadn't walked home with anyone for years at this point…

She mumbled weakly to herself.

"Matsushita-san?"

After a few more moments of fidgeting and hesitation, Ai eventually managed to nod. Even if, like Tsubaki said, Natsuki Yukihiro was a coward, she didn't want to walk home alone after that.

"Alright!"

With that, Tsubaki began to follow her. For the most part, Ai was quiet. She didn't really know what else to say, and Tsubaki didn't seem to think pressing her to have a conversation was a good idea, at least not for the moment. However, when they got roughly halfway to the Matsushita mansion, the taller girl finally decided to speak.

"It must be hard, moving in like this," she began, "Even if it's a mansion, getting used to a new town can't be easy. I can't imagine what it must be like."

Ai hesitated, but… if Tsubaki wanted to talk to her, she should say something in return, right?

"Eh-heh… yeah…" the small brunette began, "U-um… it's… I used to live here… b-but it's been a while, um…"

"Oh? Where did you live between then and now?" Tsubaki asked, tilting her head.

"Tokyo…" replied Ai, "U-um, the Shibuya ward… I lived in an apartment there…"

The reason for this was, of course, that was close to the organization's base of operations, at least the one in Japan. There was one in Britain, as well, closer to the Clock Tower, but she had never been there.

"Ohh, I've never been to Tokyo," responded Tsubaki, "I've spent my whole life here… It's a nice town, but… well, like I said earlier, nothing much happens around here."

Ah… every time Tsubaki mentioned that, all Ai could think about was how very wrong she was. At least, how wrong she'd be in the coming weeks.

"U-um… maybe that's a good thing?" Ai offered, "If nothing much happens, doesn't that mean nothing bad happens around here, too?"

"Hmm… I guess you're right, in a way, but…" the tanned girl trailed off for a moment, "It'd be nice if something exciting happened sometime. It's not like I want anything bad to happen, just… something!"

Ah… well… all Ai could hope for was that Tsubaki didn't learn about the Grail War. Witnesses… she wouldn't be able to do it, but the other Masters… it wasn't impossible that they'd decide to immediate eliminate anyone who caught sight of even the smallest glimpse of the Holy Grail War. The secrecy of magecraft was of the utmost importance.

Even knowing that, however, killing someone over it seemed to be… far too much, to Ai. Couldn't they change their memories? Anything else… there had to be something else they could do…

"Oh, this is your house!"

Ai looked up, thoughts clearing. There, indeed, was the stately Matsushita mansion. As they approached the iron gates, the small brunette stopped just before them.

"Um… I… I guess I'll see you, Inoue-san," said Ai, shifting from one foot to the other as she spoke.

"Mmm-mmm," Tsubaki gave her a smile and a quick nod, "See you tomorrow, Matsushita!"

With that, she turned in the opposite direction and set off sprinting. As she steadily disappeared from view, the metal gate opened, seemingly on its own. Of course, this was her maids' doing. As Ai walked through the gates and entered the lush gardens, they slowly shut behind her. Even through all her worries, the small girl suddenly remembered what Marianne had promised her. Something special… something sweet. And the more exuberant maid's culinary skills… ah, it was something to look forward to!

Something to take her mind off of everything again…

As she walked up to the mansion's doorway, it opened swiftly, Charlotte standing behind it.

"Welcome home, ojou-sama. Onee-san is waiting in the dining hall," she said, the vaguest hint of a smile on her face. Ah… that meant that she was making it, right? Whatever sweet meal the maid had promised! With something more of a quick spring to her step, Ai hurried through the main half and to her right, entering the dining hall once more.

"Ah, hello, ojou-sama~" declared Marianne cheerfully. There, on the long table, sat a large, perfect-looking sponge cake, shaped like a large heart. "You came home just in time~ I just finished preparing the castella~"

"… Haaaah!"

Worries momentarily chased from her mind at the delicious-looking sponge cake, Ai immediately sat down and dug in without any further hesitation.

Moist, springy, sweet… of course, just like everything else Marianne had ever made, it was perfect.

Even if she'd already ate not that long ago, the short brunette was able to polish off the castella in a very short amount of time. Certainly it wasn't a particularly large cake, but it was still an entire cake, and it had vanished into her in record time.

"Fufu, careful, ojou-sama," commented Marianne, one oversized sleeve held to her mouth as she giggled, "Indulge like that too much and you might get chubby~"

"A-ah?" Ai flinched. No… she… she wasn't exactly in shape to begin with, and she didn't want to get chubby! "U-um… but… o-once in a while is okay, r-right…?"

"Of course~" the maid replied, smiling cheerfully as she did.

Ai relaxed.

At least, for a moment. The castella now gone, the girl's thoughts drifted once again to the impending summoning. While she was quite nervous, she had managed to do her research. The spell would be most effective just before midnight, when her magecraft would be at its peaked. Additionally, she had obtained chicken's blood in order to properly perform the ritual as well. She had all the supplies ready in the basement of her mansion, as well… she had yet to actually draw the circle, but that should wait until she was about to summon, anyway.

No matter how much Ai had prepared for it, she couldn't help but worry.

"… Worrying about the ritual tonight, ojou-sama?" asked Marianne, noticing the look on her mistress's face.

"A-ah… um… w-well…" Ai hesitated for a moment… "It's… just… even if I manage to summon a Servant… why would he listen to m-me or anything? A samurai's going to know how to fight better then I do… and any orders I could give would just screw things up…"

"… Ojou-sama," the white-haired maid began, "I wouldn't be worried about such things. If he is so skilled, then there's no problem. He'll interpret your orders in the best way he can and win regardless!"

She grinned.

"A samurai is loyal, after all, but he won't be stupid," she added, "So don't worry about it, ojou-sama. You'll do fine."

"U-um… really…?" Ai asked, trembling, "Even if he's scary…?"

Of course~" declared the maid, "You'll be his new lord, won't you? A samurai is faithful to their lord, even if they're scary!"

"… R… right…"

Ai didn't feel great about the situation, regardless, but she was at least a little more optimistic that her Saber-class Servant would be even remotely willing to work with her. Not that it made her feel any better about her chances, but at least it made her feel a little better about her Servant.

"… Speaking of which," Marianne added, "It's probably for the best you begin preparing soon~"

"R-Right!"

The entire rest of her day was open for the preparations.

Even if she'd had homework, it wasn't anywhere near as important as preparing to summon a heroic spirit. Ai had to focus and make sure she did everything right. As low as her confidence was, she didn't want to fail before she even got started.

Indeed, the majority of the rest of the day was spent making her preparations. She was careful to arrange everything she had acquired properly. But as the day wore on, her heart hammered faster and faster in her chest. Not only from fear, but also a sort of awe. She was really going to be calling a heroic spirit, summoning one into this world.

Calling one of the heroes of the past, a hero of her homeland, into the modern world. There was… no matter how nervous she was, there was this feeling of excitement and nostalgia… and a little bit of pride. After all… she shared a nationality with this legendary hero!

It was hardly enough to counteract the fear of the entire concept of the Holy Grail War, but it was something, at the very least. She felt a little more comfortable attempting the ritual, if nothing else. Not by much, but at least it was something, wasn't it?/div

The hour of the ritual was closing quickly. She wanted to time it so that her magecraft would be at its peak, just before midnight. That way she could ensure everything would go as smoothly as possible. At least… she hoped that's how it would work. The catalyst would ensure she got the right Servant, at least. After all, it was the samurai's favorite sword, his most trusted weapon. Therefore, it would have to be the best possible catalyst for the figure she was attempting to summon.

So, Ai felt confident that she'd at least summon the right person. And as long as she performed the ritual properly, the contract would be sealed. She had at least enough faith in herself that she could follow the instructions, even if, after that, she felt like everything possible could immediately go wrong.

The summoning itself was less of an issue. She felt nervous about it, but it wasn't as worrying as what could come after it.

The sun was setting… The allotted time was approaching ever more quickly. Taking a deep breath, the short brunette started to proceed down her stairs.

Her heartbeat grew faster and faster with every step. The basement itself was wide, and cool, grey stone composed the wall and floors. There were shelves of various ingredients for formalcraft lining them, a desk for research purposes… and the items she required lined up on it. Chalk, vials of chicken's blood, and most notably… the sheathed katana. A white, gold, and black hilt, protruding from a white sheath that hid the blade itself from view… even though it was well over a hundred years old, it seemed to be in perfect condition. Ai wasn't exactly versed in such matters, but if she recalled what Tsukada had told her correctly it was a Norimune blade.

She didn't know that much about the swordsmiths, but their craftsmanship was impressive at least.

Apprehensive, the small brunette waited. Time ticked away, midnight's approach hastening and yet feeling like it was still distant. But eventually, the time began to draw near. Getting out of her seat, Ai took a deep breath, taking the chalk off the desk and beginning to scrawl the intricate symbol that was to be the spot the Servant would be summoned into. She was scared… but she had to be careful to make sure there wasn't a single mistake.

The clock was counting down as Ai took the vials of chicken blood and smashed them over the circle. Red splattered across the chalk. Her heart beat faster and faster. When she looked at her right hand, she could see the intricate, curving symbol that was her command seals, bright red against her light skin. It was time.

The magus could feel it.

Picking up the sheathed katana, Ai placed it in the circle carefully. She was too nervous to attempt to draw it, so instead she left it sheathed.

Taking her place at once side of the circle, she raised her hand. Her heartbeat grew faster and faster.

"Let silver and steel be the essence."

Even at the very first words of the spell, the chalk began to flicker, and then take on an unearthly glow.

"Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation."

The glow grew brighter. It was really happening. She was truly, truly summoning a Servant… she could hardly believe this was happening. But she couldn't allow herself to falter. She couldn't let any shock and fear take her over. She could feel her circuits, the mana flowing through her body, blazing through her small frame…!

"Let white be the color I pay tribute to."

There was a mist… a mist drifting up and swirling from the circle. It was… it was concerning, it was strange, but it had to be part of the ritual, right?!

"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate."

The mist was rising. Mana was blazing through Ai's circuits, running wild in her body. She felt it, almost like some kind of gate was opening, like something was spilling fourth inside of her. She couldn't put it into words, but it felt like something incredible was happening, the power was coursing through her body as she spoke. It wasn't like magecraft she'd performed before, this was something more!

"Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Repeat every five times. Simply, shatter once filled."

The mist was rising, higher and higher. She couldn't see anything in front of her, aside from the glow of the circle itself. She could feel heat pouring through her body, it felt like gusts of wind were rushing past her with every moment. This was what it was like to summon a heroic spirit? This was how it felt? It was at once terrifying and exhilarating, in the same breath Ai felt fear and excitement. What was going to happen? What was her Servant going to be like!?

"I announce. Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is your sword."

Was the light growing? It was! Motes of light were swirling up from the circle, coiling towards the center like so many fireflies. They were gathering, more and more… something was coming. Ai could feel it!

"In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."

This was something amazing… and terrifying, but amazing, occurring. It was taking all of Ai's willpower, as little of it as there was, not to back down, and yet she was enthralled. She couldn't help but watch even as she continued to speak the spell…

"Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead."

The light was gathering more and more. It almost seemed to be taking shape, materializing as a person of some sort, of some shape… yes! It was taking on a humanoid figure! That much couldn't be denied. Her Servant was arriving! She knew he probably wouldn't think she was a good Master. She knew it. That didn't mean she could stop herself from feeling this excitement coursing through her veins. Flowing through her body like the mana she was using to cast the summoning spell.

This was that final moment. This was the last moment before her Servant arrived. He was coming. She could see his shape, vaguely, being constructed from light through the mist, coalescing into a humanoid shape more and more with every moment. All she had to do was complete the spell. All she had to do was make those last words come out, to bring together the threads of her mind and deliver the final words that the ritual required.

Thrusting her hand forward as the light of the circle flared even brighter, Ai took a deep breath. This was it. This was all she had left to carry out. Through her mind, their rushed every fear and doubt, but every hope in her soul as well. For even the briefest moment, the short brunette felt as if maybe, just maybe, she could find some kind of success. Maybe she could find a path forward. Maybe she could do something that would live up to her family name. Maybe she could do something right in the Matsushita name.

Maybe she could do something that would make her parents proud.

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of balance…!"

The lights gathered, the mist seemed to flow away, and then…!


	2. Chapter 2

She had arrived.

The room she found herself in was made of stone, with shelves of various different items and a large desk. In front of her sat… ah? Was that her katana?! It was!

She was a relatively short girl, with platinum blonde hair in a ponytail. Her skin was pale, eyes silver-gold. On her body she wore a white and blue, short kimono, and a black scarf. Sheathed at her side was a katana different from the one sheathed at her feet.

The one that was already present must have been the catalyst used to summon her… Nodding to herself, she now directed her gaze towards the one who had done the summoning. The girl was quite surprised to see what looked like a child. Who… who would involve a little girl in the Holy Grail War!? Wasn't that wrong!?

… Well… she had to seal the contract. Then she could make sure not a single person hurt this little girl!

"… Servant Saber, Okita Souji!" she declared, bowing, "Are you my Master?"

"Ha… hawawa…"

Slowly, as she straightened, the tiny girl raised one hand.

"Y-you're a girl!" she cried.

"… Oh, um…" Saber looked down at herself at a moment. Well, she certainly was. "… Yes, I am! Um… were you surprised?"

She tilted her head to one side. Her Master trembled, wide-eyed.

"Th-this whole time I was expecting some tall, scary guy… n-not… not a pretty girl…" the brunette little girl stammered, wide-eyed.

"… Eh-heheheh…" Saber raised one hand, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. So she'd been looking for someone more intimidating, then? "If you wanted that, you should have summoned Hijikata-san…"

"N-no!" the small girl practically shouted, "I-I mean… um… this is fine! I-it's better even, um… I… um…"

"Better?" the Servant asked. Well, that was good to hear, even if the silvery-haired girl didn't quite understand why that was the case. Maybe the little girl felt more comfortable with girls in general? Wait, did she see her as a Motherly figure? No… no way! She was more of the big sister type, wasn't she? Regardless, Saber knew one thing above all others: She had to try and protect this little girl!

"I don't really understand," she continued, "But don't worry. I'd never let a little girl like you get hurt. As long as this body lasts, I'll keep you safe!"

Unexpectedly, her Master suddenly took on an expression of utter despair, her gaze drifting down to her feet as she did.

"… Ehhh? Master? Are you okay?!" cried Saber, stepping forth from the circle towards the little girl. Was there some kind of feedback from the summon? Had the burden of summoning a Servant hit her all at once?!

"… Of course… even though I'm eighteen, even my Servant thinks I'm a little girl…" said the brunette, dully. Saber's eyes widened.

"Ah? No, er…" she stumbled over herself for a moment. Her Master was eighteen!? That was… that was older then her current body… But she didn't look it at all! "I… I apologize, Master! I'll… I'll make up for it with my services to you!"

She bowed once more.

"… I… oh… er…" her Master too a deep breath and straightened, seeming to remember herself. "I am your Master, Saber. My name is Matsushita Ai."

"It's nice to meet you, Matsushita-san," Saber replied, with a smile, "I'd like to keep referring to you as my Master, though. It feels more proper to me!"

The platinum blonde girl nodded slowly to herself.

All that Ai could do was nod weakly. To be truthful, she had never expected things to turn out like this. That the samurai she would summon would turn out to be such a lovely, beautiful girl, so… cute and pretty and… and…

Ah… She was lucky, wasn't she? For once, she'd been truly lucky…

Saber tilted her head slightly to the side. For her, her Master seemed to suddenly zone out for a few moments, simply staring at her. Honestly, she was concerned that there just might have been some kind of feedback from the summoning that had weakened the brunette girl.

"Er… I can take spirit form, if I'm straining you," she offered. Frankly, she would have preferred not to, but if it would lessen the burden on her Master then she would do it without a second thought. She was being supplied an ample amount of mana, more then enough for her even if a battle ensued. Still, that didn't mean that she wasn't somehow straining her Master.

"Ah? Eh, n-no, no," Ai replied, shaking her head and waving one hand. Her Servant's words had snapped her out of her thoughts, but she couldn't help herself. She looked the platinum blonde girl samurai up one more time in awe. She hadn't expected to summon a girl at all, "I… I guess I'm still in a bit of a shock, eh-heheheh…"

"Ohhh, I see!" declared Saber, "I guess summoning a Servant is pretty overwhelming when it's your first time doing it… So, I think it'd be best for you to ask some questions, Master! I'll answer whatever you ask to the best of my ability!"

It… seemed a little bit silly, but in the end Ai couldn't think of a better way in which to learn Saber's strengths and weaknesses. But… how was she supposed to ask? Even if Saber didn't seem too defensive when she brought it up, if she asked the wrong question, or something of that nature, she could leave a terrible impression on the girl samurai. But if she didn't say anything, it would be rather strange, wouldn't it? So she had to say something, but she didn't know what to ask. What did someone say in a question and answer session with a famous hero of the past? Especially when that hero just turned out to be a beautiful girl.

"… Er… you don't have to," Saber began, waving one hand. This girl was a worrier, that much she could tell, constantly concerned about what she was going to say. At the moment, all the Servant could do was hope she didn't find another way to upset her Master.

"Um…" Ai shifted from one foot to the other, quietly, before finding her words, "S-so, what are you good at?"

"What I'm good at?" Saber repeated, before folding her arms with a proud smile, "Well, that's easy! Raw strength might not be my strong suit, but when it comes to my skill with a katana, Okita Souji is second to none!"

Indeed, in life she had stood as the most skilled of the Shinsengumi, who each were skilled samurai an experts in swordplay. If there was anything Saber felt confident in, it was her ability with a blade.

"And I doubt you'd be able to find a faster sword, either!" she declared, with an air of triumph.

Indeed, using her ability as a Master to see Servant parameters, Ai could see this was the case. An especially high degree of ability, though her other stats weren't particularly high…

"Wow, you… you really are fast!"

Saber's pride swelled, and she placed her hands on her hips. There was something else the Servant noted, as well. The air felt… especially clear here. She could breathe easily.

"… I think my Weak Constitution isn't as much of a problem here, too!" she declared, somewhat more excitedly. The skill, inflicted on her due to modern beliefs, could cripple her if it activated during battle. All because of that illness in life… but somehow, she felt like it wouldn't be much of a problem while she was here!

"U-um, that's good…" Ai responded with a nod.

"So, what are we going to do tonight, Master?" asked Saber. This was her chance to fight again, properly, so to be honest she was feeling a little bit excited. Still, she would do what her Master wished, as long as it didn't put the girl's life in danger for no reason.

"Um… well…" before Ai could settle on a response, she realized just how tired she was, all at once. Exhaustion hit her all at once. While she had enough mana to comfortably support her Servant, that didn't mean that the strain of the summoning was totally lost on her, either. While she'd been running on adrenaline for a moment, now it was all seeping away and leaving her in an incredibly tired state.

"… I'll decide on that tomorrow…" the small brunette said, with a yawn, "I'm… suddenly feeling really tired…"

Ah… Saber rather quickly understood just why her Master was so exhausted so suddenly. The act of summoning a Servant had to be tiring, didn't it? Admittedly, she didn't really know anything in particular about magecraft whatsoever, but she at least grasped the idea of the effort exerted while performing spells being a draining one.

"Don't worry, Master!" she declared, "I'll protect you while you're asleep!"

"… Good… Saber…"

And then she collapsed where she stood, falling into an exhausted heap.

"Ah?!"

Oh, no… it really had been too much for her Master! Covering the distance between herself and her Master, Saber scooped the tiny girl up into her arms. To think, she fell asleep right where she was standing… After only a moment of hesitation, she proceeded up the stairs. She had no idea where the girl slept, but she couldn't just be left in the basement.

When Saber arrived at the top of the stairs, she was greeted by the sight of a white-haired girl in a western maid outfit. She seemed surprised for a moment, before managing to compose herself.

"… You must be Saber," the maid began, "… Ojou-sama's bedroom is upstairs. The last door on the left. Onee-san will make her ready for bed."

Saber nodded. It was good that everything seemed to be in order, already. Heading for the stairs, she carried the small, limp, sleeping girl to her bedroom. There, she was greeted by another identical maid, this one wearing a kimono and kappougi as opposed to a more western outfit.

"Ohhh, so you're Saber?! You're not a scary guy at all, fufu~" the maid declared, waving her sleeve, "You're a pretty, cute girl~ I bet ojou-sama was surprised!"

"… Er, yes, but she needs rest now," Saber replied. She couldn't help but feel they had been expecting Hijikata at this point, but then again they had used her favorite katana as the catalyst for the summoning, hadn't they? Well… regardless, she proceeded into her Master's bedroom.

"I can't believe such a famous samurai was such a cute girl~" continued the maid, following her inside, "Fufufu…"

"Eh-heheheh… I guess it is a bit surprising," the platinum blonde girl replied, giving a somewhat awkward smile. She really wasn't used to having her looks commented on so much, and it made her feel a bit off-balance as a result. Still, she carefully laid her Master on the bed.

"I'll handle it from here~" said the maid, "You should stand guard outside, Saber-chan~"

"… Er… right!"

Saber nodded, turning away and stepping out of the room.

The door shut behind her.

Her summoning… it sure was off to quite a start, wasn't it? Her Master seemed… admittedly kind of frail, which made the girl samurai more concerned about her. But at the same time, she was supporting her well, so maybe that meant she was a really good mage? She hoped that was the case, for her Master's sake more than anything else. It would mean her Master was better able to defend herself, after all. That being said, Saber hoped that wouldn't be necessary at all. After all, she had Okita Souji as her personal sword to keep her safe! Surely, surely, Saber would ensure her Master would never have to try and fight for herself!

Those maids seemed quite eccentric, though… and the one in a kappougi kept talking about her looks. It was a little awkward.

But there was no more time to dwell on such things. Left alone in the upstairs hallway, Saber nodded quietly to herself. From this day forth, it was a battle. The Holy Grail War. She couldn't be certain who her opponents were, nor could she know when they would strike. Therefore, the only way to be prepared was to be ready at all times, to expect potential attack at any moment. When it came to one on one engagements, she was confident in herself. However, unlike some other Servants in her class, she possessed no wide-range method of destroying exceptionally large foes, or hundreds of enemies, in a single blow. Therefore, the platinum blonde samurai knew it was for the best to force her enemies into single combat.

As far as she knew, there had not yet been any conflict.

But even if her Master didn't know it, the Grail War had already begun.

* * *

Ai awakened to the sunlight streaming into her room. Blearily, the small girl rubbed at her eyes, yawned, and slowly sat up. In her early morning haze, the events of the previous night seemed dreamlike and foreign. Had she really summoned the Saber-class Servant Okita Souji successfully? Had she really spoken to a figure from human history? Had that figure from history really been a beautiful girl, rather then the intimidating man she had expected?

The small brunette rubbed her eyes again, trying to shake away the sleep. Her limbs felt like lead, and her head felt fuzzy. It was like she was recovering from strenuous physical activity, and yet she hadn't done anything of the sort. No, it had to be because she had summoned Saber. It felt kind of surreal, now, as she slowly shuffled out of bed. The fact that she had summoned her Servant, and now she was about to undertake her daily routine like nothing strange had happened. But she had to go to class, as much as she felt uneasy about it… maybe it would be a good time to show Saber around town? It made sense to do that. After all, it wouldn't be very helpful if Saber didn't know anything about the place she'd be doing battle in. Ai understood that much, at the very least.

Even if she really had no idea how she was going to start.

As she stood up beside her bed, the door opened. In through the door came Charlotte.

"Good day, ojou-sama," she began, "Your high school has already been contacted."

"… Eh?" Ai said, yawning and rubbing her eyes in an effort to wake herself up. What had they contacted her school for? Was there some kind of event? She hoped not… "Um… why…?"

"… Ah, let me explain," Charlotte nodded to herself, "Given the strain of summoning a Servant, you were allowed to sleep until noon."

"… E-e-ehhh?! N-noon!?" cried Ai. But she'd slept so late… so late, what were they going to think!? It was bad enough having to go to a new school, but now they'd see her as truant. Tsubaki had been nice to her, but would she really be nice to some girl who skipped classes?

"Do not worry, ojou-sama," replied Charlotte, "Onee-san called ahead and informed them that you had fallen ill. Your absence will not be questioned."

Ai's shoulders slumped. On one hand, if that was the case, then she could at least focus on the Grail War today rather than try and grapple with handling classes the day after she summoned her Servant. And that was what was far more important, wasn't it? But missing a day for a fake illness still made her feel guilty, deep down… even if there was a part of her that was also relieved about it.

But all of this reminded her of one thing in particular…

After some hesitation, Ai exited her room and peered down the stairs.

Saber was no-where to be seen.

But she could feel it. The contract, the connection she now had with her Servant. Where was she? A few more moments of fidgeting later, the small brunette proceeded down the stairs. As she reached the main hall, the front door opened.

There was her Servant. That silvery platinum-blond hair, pretty, delicate features, grey-gold eyes… the blue and white kimono and black scarf… She really hadn't imagined the previous night.

"Saber…" she hesitated. What did she say now?

"… Oh, Master!" declared her Servant, with a smile, "I moved to the front door when the sun rose, to keep guard over the house while you were asleep."

She nodded firmly.

"There wasn't a single attack, so if you were worried, you don't have to be!"

Ai nodded, slowly, even though the thought of being attacked during the night was terrifying to her. Her eyes once again traveled up and down the samurai girl. She had to confirm Saber was real to herself again. Even as a magus, the inherent unreality of her situation was staggering. The small girl really had managed to summon a famous samurai.

And that famous samurai was in actuality a beautiful girl. It felt like she was in some sort of fictional scenario, that this couldn't possibly be real. But it was.

… Ai could smell breakfast from the kitchen, too, and realized just how empty her stomach felt. Shifting from one foot to another, she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Um…" she paused for a moment as she tried to collect herself, "Th… that's good… I wouldn't want to be attacked at my home so soon, eh-heheh…"

She trailed off.

"Even if you were, I'd do everything in my power to defend your lands!" declared Saber, brightly. She sounded fairly confident in herself, which Ai felt certain was probably a good thing when it came to Servants.

"S-so…" the brunette's eyes drifted towards the door to the dining hall, "… I… I know Servants don't need to eat, but, ah…"

She fidgeted again. Should she be asking something like this? She had no idea how to handle herself around most people, let alone a historical figure. For that matter, let alone a historical figure who was also an incredibly pretty girl.

"Hm?"

Saber tilted her head, quite clearly waiting to hear what her Master had to say.

"… Would… would you like to have breakfast with me?" Ai asked, finally, "W-we can discuss our next moves while we eat, or something…"

"Oh… well… sure!" the girl samurai replied, with a nod, "Just because I don't have to eat doesn't mean I don't want to, and food can help keep my mana supply up!"

"Ah, um, that's good!" Ai responded with a weak nod. At least her Servant seemed nice… "A-and… and… and afterwards I'll… I'll buy you some clothes!"

Saber nodded, but then a look of confusion almost immediately came over her face. She'd been expecting something obvious, and then been taken completely by surprise.

"Eh?"

* * *

The maid in a kappougi, whose name Saber had now learned was Marianne, had prepared an excellent breakfast. The rolled omelet in particular had been fantastic! Of course, she was still a bit uncertain about what was to come next. It wasn't as if she didn't approve, far from it. She'd prefer not to have to remain in spirit form if it could be helped, and that did mean getting clothing that wouldn't stand out. The Holy Grail War had to remain secret, after all.

Rather than that, it was because she wasn't really certain what to expect from the modern world's clothing. While the grail provided her with knowledge of the modern world, at the same time it didn't exactly give her an idea of what the current fashion trends were.

But regardless of anything else, it seemed that was the plan for today. To buy her clothing.

"Um… we can use it as a chance to look around town, too…" Ai had mentioned during breakfast. Certainly, Saber felt that was absolutely necessary. It was important for a warrior to know of her battlefield! She needed to see as much of the town as she could, to know where the most secluded areas for battle would be, and to be aware of any potential traps. However, well…

Her Master didn't seem particularly confident about going shopping for clothing either.

"U-um…"

After her Master had showered, they had gotten ready to leave the house. Marianne had provided Saber with an outfit to wear, lending her something of Charlotte's. It was a simple white dress, and it didn't fit very well, but she couldn't deny it was more subtle then going out in her kimono. Ai looked… rather nervous as they left the mansion.

"S-so, um, wh-what kind of c-clothing do you like…?" she asked, finally, looking up at Saber nervously.

The platinum blonde girl was silent for only a moment as she mulled it over.

"If I wasn't in uniform," she began, reflecting on her past outfits, "One of my favorites was a pink kimono with a purple hakama. I guess I just felt like I looked nice like that, eh-heheh."

She scratched the back of her head. While it was something she had thought about, Saber simply wasn't used to talking about her looks.

"But I guess if that's not an option, er…" she trailed off for a moment, "… Something simple and easy to move in? That's all I really need!"

"Um… s-simple and easy to move in… o-okay!" Ai repeated to herself, nodding. That seemed straightforward enough…

For a while, they continued in silence. It was admittedly rather awkward, and it was becoming clear to Saber that her Master wasn't the most talkative person. She hesitated for a moment, before trying to come up with a topic herself.

"So… where are we going, then, Master?" she asked, glancing towards the small brunette as she spoke.

"O-oh, um…" the tiny girl fidgeted. Saber was aware that she herself was on the short side, but her Master could easily be mistaken for a child. After all, she'd made that mistake when she was summoned in the first place! "We're heading for the shopping district. I don't really go down there too much, but um… I remember the way!"

"Ohhh, I see, I see," the platinum blonde samurai said with a nod. While she didn't think the middle of a shopping district was likely to be a good place to fight, that didn't mean visiting it was without any benefits from the point of view of the Holy Grail War. It was good to be aware of any possibilities, after all. And on the other hand… well, she kind of wanted to see what her new outfit would be like. The maid's dress fit her a bit oddly, too tight in some places and made for someone who was a little taller. Not by much, but enough to make a difference in how it fit. "I guess that makes sense. Where else would a clothing shop be?"

"Um… I don't know," replied her Master, averting her eyes nervously, "I g-guess… somewhere where lots of people go, um… since that would get it a lot of business…"

"… Ah, I wasn't really expecting an answer, Master," Saber responded, waving her left hand towards the small brunette, "You didn't have to try and think about it seriously."

"E-eh? Oh… s-sorry…"

The girl samurai waved her hands. "You don't have to apologize, either!"

Her Master simply fidgeted at that. Ah… Ai really was a nervous person. Saber just wanted to try and speak with her a bit, she hoped she hadn't really upset her at all.

"Um… o-oh, um…" Ai trailed off for a moment, before catching site of the shops up ahead. They were relatively busy at this time of day, even though it was a little on the hot side. Saber didn't seem to by bothered by the high temperatures, but that was due to her nature as a Servant, of course. "Ah, um, there's a shop up ahead, so um…"

Saber followed her line of vision. There, indeed, was a clothing shop up ahead, with a fancy sign above up above it reading 'Velvet'. Though really, it didn't look like a lot of the clothing inside was made from velvet at all. Maybe it was some sort of mistake.

"We'll go there, eh-heh…" Ai stepped forward and lead the way into the shop. Saber followed.

Once they were inside, the platinum blonde girl was ushered to the back, where a woman took her measurements. This was… kind of embarrassing, to be honest, the measuring tape being wrapped around her body like that… but at least it didn't last very long. Soon enough, she was on to trying to pick out an outfit. She couldn't help but notice the way her master was watching her as she changed, and to be honest she wasn't really sure why she was doing so. Eventually, she picked out something she liked, a white, short-sleeved shirt with a blue design on the front, black shorts(Ai had picked out a particularly short pair for her, saying it was good for the weather), black thigh-high socks, and long, brown boots. It was fairly comfortable and easy to move in, even if the shorts felt a bit small!

After a few more, similar outfits were picked out, her Master had purchased the clothing and the pair departed from the all the things Saber had expected, she hadn't really expected to be clothes shopping. She didn't mind it, though, even if she was surprised Ai was willing to spend that much money on different outfits.

From there, though, the course of action was fairly straightforward.

Ai guided Saber around the shopping district, pointing out various shops. Admittedly, there were a few that peaked her interest particularly. One specific example was a bakery. She could smell the pastries being prepared within, and there was no way she didn't want to visit it… but there were far more important things to keep in mind. Going to have snacks, as much as Saber desired to do so, was absolutely not a priority.

Eventually, they left the shopping district, as the day was wearing onwards. By now, the local schools had let out, and there was new activity on the streets. Saber noted that Ai was trying to keep her head down, and soon they took a detour into a nearby park.

"… Um, while we're here…" the small brunette began, looking around somewhat apprehensively. Saber felt like she was trying to make sure she didn't see anyone who would recognize her… "This is Ashikaga Park, um… it's usually a nice place to go and um… have a walk for a little while, um…"

Once again, her Master was fidgeting.

"… I see," Saber replied, in an attempt to be reassuring, "It does seem like quite a nice park!"

But that wasn't the only matter on her mind. The green grass, the lush vegetation, the river nearby… it provided a lovely backdrop for a stroll, but also a battlefield. At night, when most of the battles of the Holy Grail War would be conducted, such a location provided both cover in the form of the trees, but also open space that allowed for the ability to evade enemy attacks rather effectively. It could prove to be an important battleground in the war simply for its versatility.

"It also seems like a valuable location for battle," Saber added, nodding to herself as she surveyed their surroundings.

"A-ah? Really?" Ai's eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course!" the girl samurai replied, turning to face her Master fully as the paused in the middle of the path. "Not only do the trees provide some cover, but there's a lot of room to maneuver as well. I feel good about my chances fighting somewhere like this, myself!"

"Wow…" the small brunette cast her gaze around the park once more, adjusting her glasses, "I never would have thought about it like that… um… it was easy to forget when you're a cute girl in cute clothes, but you really are a skilled samurai!"

"Eh-heheh…" Saber scratched the back of her head once more, "I don't really understand it, but thanks? I know you were giving me a compliment, at least!"

"Eh-heheheh…" Ai responded with Saber's awkward laughter with some of her own, "But, um… so you think this would be a good place to fight, then? Um… are you going to try and draw enemies here?"

"If I can," replied the platinum blonde Servant, folding her arms beneath her chest, "But there's nothing guaranteed in a battle, so I have to be prepared to fight anywhere in the city!"

She saw her Master's eyes widen once more.

"R… r-right…"

Ah… she was still pretty scared about the idea of fighting, wasn't she? It hadn't been Saber's intention to frighten her at all!

"But you don't need to worry about that, Master!" the Saber-class Servant declared, doing her best to sound as strong and confident as she possibly could, "Remember, as long as I'm here, I won't let a single thing touch you! You're safe with me!"

That seemed to help at least a little bit. Her Master took a deep breath and let it out, seeming to relax a bit.

"Y-you're right, Saber," she replied, "I… I should just keep my faith in you, e-even if I'm not a very good Master…"

Not a very good Master…?

"I can't say I know very much about magecraft," started Saber, giving the small brunette a smile as she spoke, "But I don't see how you can say you're not a very good Master! I feel like I'm fully charged all the time, so you're supplying me plenty of mana!"

"U-um, but, um… I don't know if I can support you too well…" responded the small brunette, in a rather morose fashion, "I-it's not as if I can't do a-anything, but I don't know how much I can do that would actually be helpful to you…"

"Just keep supplying me with mana, and I can handle everything, Master!" declared Saber, brightly, pumping one fist into the air. Unfortunately, she could immediately tell that didn't seem to help very much. Ah… She wasn't sure how to give the tiny girl a real confidence boost… but she felt like she had to do something, right? Part of the Master-Servant relationship was to support one another after all.

Ai sighed, shoulders sagging.

"… Um… but if you want to do something more…" Saber trailed off as she tried to wrack her brain for her scant amount of magical knowledge. She knew vaguely of onmyodo, and presumably that was essentially the same as other sorts of magecraft, right? "Um… well, you have something like shikigami, right? Familiars, I think?"

"Ah?" Ai raised her head, brightening slightly, "Um… well, I have familiars, yeah… cats…"

"Then send your cat familiars out all over town!" Saber asserted, "You can use them like scouts, can't you? That'll give us a better picture of our battlefield and let us spot anything strange going on!"

"O-oh… that's… that's right!" Ai exclaimed, bobbing her head and making her braided pigtails bounce, "I can send them out to look around town! I… I can't believe I didn't think of that, um…"

"Don't worry about that part, Master," Saber continued, with a nod and a smile, "Just send out your familiars when we get home, and that's enough!"

Not to say that Ai couldn't figure out how to help more, though Saber demanded nothing from her Master beyond staying safe, but for the moment that was all she needed to do in order to be of assistance, if that's what she wanted. Use her cat familiars to scout around town and keep track of any strange activity.

"R-right!" declared the small brunette, with a look of determination in her eyes, now. There! Saber had managed to provide her some kind of comfort. She had felt a bit guilty about how it seemed as if she'd kept upsetting her, but it seemed like she may have finally turned things around.

Soon enough, the pair of them had exited the park. By this point, the sun had begun to sink somewhat lower in the sky.

A pair of schoolgirls walked by, and when Saber's Master spotted them she immediately turned away. The girl samurai grimaced, slightly. There must have been some reason she didn't want to be seen by them…

"Inoue-san didn't show up today, huh?" she caught part of the conversation, though it didn't seem particularly important.

The second girl shook her head. "I heard she called in sick."

"Wow…" responded the first, "I never thought I'd see the day that Inoue Tsubaki called in sick. I thought she was the Undefeatable Student Council President!"

"Well, it looks like a cold finally beat her," replied the second, with a giggle. Soon enough, both girls had passed out of earshot.  
"… Inoue-san didn't show up today?" Ai asked, turning to watch the girls go, "I only met her yesterday, and I can't imagine her staying home… she must be pretty sick."

"Is she a friend of yours?" Saber asked, peering at her Master. The tiny girl seemed concerned about it, after all.

"Um… I only met her yesterday," Ai said, shaking her head, "She's the student council president… I g-guess I don't really know her, but it's kind of hard to imagine her calling in sick… she seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't let that get in the way, um…"

For a few moments, Saber was silent. She seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't allow being ill to get in the way, did she…?

"… I see."

She didn't feel angry at her Master. It wasn't as if Ai had any way of knowing. But her mind had now drifted into deeper, less-traveled places.

But she was here to make up for that, wasn't she? She was here to get that chance.

Saber shook her head in an effort to regain her composure, her attention focusing on her Master once again.

"Well… what do we do now, Master? You've shown me around a lot of the town, so where re you planning on taking me next?" as she asked her question, Saber did her best to push those darker, less pleasant thoughts to the back of her mind and bury them as deeply as she could. There was no need to burden her Master even more with something like that, after all.

"Um…" Ai was silent for a moment, seemingly as she attempted to decide just what she had to do next. Then, realization dawned on her face.

"Ah! Um, the Church!" she cried, "Um, I need to register with the Overseer…"

The Overseer? Ah… The Holy Grail War also involved the Christian Church, didn't it? So that they could take a measure of the relic capable of granting wishes. No-where was this more apparent then in the Overseer. Not only was their purpose to gauge the Grail itself, but also to keep the war from raging out of control, if necessary.

As Saber understood, both the Church and the Magi worked towards that particular end. In fact, any Master and Servant pairs who attempted to cause chaos would have the rest of the war organized against them.

Personally, she would gladly participate in the defeat of such people. While many things were acceptable on the battlefield… involving so many innocent people felt wrong to the Saber-class Servant.

"I understand, Master," replied Saber, "Lead the way."

With that, they headed away from the park. As they walked, the girl samurai noted they were heading for the edge of town. So the Church was outside of town, then? That's what seemed to be the case, at least.

Eventually the building came into view. It was a small chapel, ivy crawling up the sides of the grey stone. Saber had never seen such a church in life, or any buildings associated with Christianity for that matter. It was somewhat strange, but she didn't pay it any further heed.

They approached the doorway, and after a moment of apprehension, Ai raised one hand and knocked on the tall wooden doors.

After a moment, they slowly creaked open, revealing a long, red carpet, and numerous candles lit all across the room. Long, wooden benches lined the carpet…

At the opposite end of the room was a young woman, clad in a nun's habit. She had rather alluring features, and sported crimson eyes and long, blonde hair, with a rather mature figure. There was something strange about her, though… Something about her seemed almost predatory.

The nun rose to her feet, and smiled.

"Welcome, Master of the Holy Grail War, and Servant… Saber?" she paused for a moment. "Am I correct?"

"Er… yes, Overseer," Ai replied, with a nod. After another pause, both Master and Servant walked across the room and approached the blonde gave a pleasant smile, and yet something about it set Saber on edge. Something about this woman was… strange… As if she was something far more then she appeared.

"My my… you need not refer to me so formally, fufu~" the nun chuckled, "I am Estrizia Vennele, the overseer of this Holy Grail War."  
She bowed her head, as the two girls stopped in front of her.

"I shall take this chance to inform you that you can take refuge at the Church, if you Servant is slain," she added, with a smile. Something about the way she spoke… it just bothered Saber. It was nothing to do with who she was, or what she was saying, but something behind her actions, her tone, everything about her seemed to be somehow predatory. As if her behavior could become twisted at a moment's notice. "But first… I'd like to take a closer look at your Servant~"

"Ah…?"

Before either Ai or Saber could respond, the nun had suddenly stepped forward, coming far too close for the girl samurai's liking.

"Ah… how lovely… such soft, delicate skin…" Estrizia commented, licking her lips as she spoke. Her hand rose, and to Saber's surprise and embarrassment, ran down her cheek, down her neck… "Such a fine, beautiful Servant… indeed…"

Her hand drifted lower, towards her chest.

"And here-"

Before she could attempt to grasp at Saber's breasts, the Servant quickly stepped back, covering her chest defensively and blushing.

"I-I… I know th-that's not necessary!" she protested. What was with this woman!? She was… why did she think that doing such a thing was okay? Saber couldn't disguise how embarrassing it was to be touched like that, especially by this stranger…

"… Ah, I apologize," replied Estrizia, placing a hand to her cheek, "I simply got… carried away. Ahh… the both of you are free to visit at any time, of course~ Fufu… I shall always have an open spot for guests, and meeting you is a… rare opportunity~ Aaah…"

The platinum blonde samurai watched the nun warily for a few moments, stepping back towards her Master, who was mumbling weakly under her breath, blushing just at seeing such a thing.

"I should certainly like to… learn more, if you give me the opportunity~" the nun continued with a widening smile, "Certainly, to observe a Servant's body is a unique experience, as well~ I'd like to conduct a thorough investigation."

"A-aaah… u-um…" Ai stammered. Before she could speak, however, Estrizia simply continued.

"Don't think I would leave the Master untouched, of course~"

That was enough.

"… M… Master, we… we need to be leaving, now," Saber insisted. She couldn't take any more of this. This woman was just… there was something off about her, and she had no sense of personal space whatsoever!

"Ah? But I haven't finished," said the nun, "I'm certain that your Master would like to hear what else I have to say, wouldn't she?"

For a few moments, Saber was silent. She glanced towards Ai, who took a deep breath.

"… I.. what else do you have to say?" she asked, stepping forward. Her Servant fell silent, and instead looked back towards the blonde woman and glared at her. If she made at sudden, strange movements, Saber was going to be ready for them this time.

"Mmm… well, now that you've registered the fact that you summoned Saber," began Estrizia, "I should hope you're aware of what you have involved yourself in. This is a battle to the death, and only the safety of my church can guarantee that you won't perish yourself. After all… Many Masters may view you as a threat, even if you've surrendered and your Servant has been defeated."

Saber's glare intensified. That wasn't outcome she would ever accept. There was no way she ever would.

"Ah… Saber doesn't like the idea of that, does she?" commented the nun, cocking her head to one side, "Of course, I would hope such a thing doesn't happen. I'm speaking with honesty, so don't give me that look~ But if the worst happens, at the very least, I wish to be able to protect your Master. Surely you can sympathize with that desire, can't you~?"

While Saber had no ability to look into the minds of others, no matter how strongly she scrutinized the nun's words, she couldn't determine them to be anything but genuine. No matter how uneasy Estrizia made her feel, at the very least she seemed to be honest in her words.

"A Servant's life has already ended," the blonde woman continued, with a wave of one hand, "This second life, summoned by the Holy Grail, is another chance to obtain something they couldn't in life. Certainly, tears can and should be shed for those who fall in battle, but it is the lives of the Masters I am most concerned with. They can keep on living after this… so shouldn't they be given the opportunity to do so? To achieve more in their lives, before the pass on?"

She gave both Master and Servant a sly smile. As much as she didn't like to acknowledge it, Saber couldn't help but agree with the woman's assessment. It didn't mean she necessarily trusted her, no matter how truthful her words could be, but the life of her Master was something she intended to preserve at all costs. To know she was safe, to ensure she could be kept safe, that was what was most important to Saber.

Certainly, the samurai had a wish she desired to have fulfilled. But even with that in consideration, the life of her Master was what was most important.

That didn't mean she liked the predatory and self-satisfied attitude the overseer behaved with.

"Fufu, I can see it in your eyes, even if you don't want to speak," Estrizia replied, "You agree with me, don't you?"

Saber continued to glare as the nun approached one more… suddenly, her hand drifted down, and ran across her Master's side, towards her backside. Ai yelped and nearly jumped, her cheeks going bright red. In an instant, Saber had placed herself between the two, one hand on Estrizia's wrist.

"… Ah," began the nun, simply, "Well, if you want the attention, I can focus on you instead… I just thought your Master looked lonely~"

"That won't be necessary, Overseer," came Saber's flat reply, as she stared right into the nun's crimson eyes.

"Fufu, oh my~ How protective~" the blonde woman began, stepping back. Saber released her wrist. "As you should be~ You're a fine Servant, Saber~"

"U-um… um…" Ai stammered, fidgeting and blushing, "W-we… we should um… we should be going now…"

"Fufu, see you around~"

With that, Ai turned, moving rather quickly to depart from the church. With one last glare at the nun, they both exited through the wide wooden doors once more.

They creaked shut behind them.

Saber didn't like it. No matter how truthful the overseer's words seemed, there was something about her behavior that set her on edge. Something about the way that the overseer carried herself, her body language… it was like she was trying to hide it.

There was no doubt in Saber's mind. That nun was a killer.

"Um… Saber, er…" her Master began, hesitant, "What… um… you kept glaring at the overseer, um…"

Ah… So her Master had definitely noticed. To be honest, the girl samurai had to admit that she wasn't exactly being subtle there. At the same time, she had a feeling telling Ai that the reason she was so wary was because 'the nun was hiding the fact that she was a killer' seemed like it would be a bad idea. She didn't want to make the small brunette even more on edge, after all.

But what did she say, then?

"Er…" Saber paused for a moment as she tried to think of a reasonable response. "Um, she just rubbed me the wrong way, I guess. Something about her bothered me."

It was true, even if it wasn't the whole truth. Was it okay to hide it from her Master? Scaring her by saying the overseer was a killer didn't seem like the wisest plan… And she really had to keep her Master's wellbeing in mind, above everything else. Scaring her wasn't exactly conducive to that.

"O-oh, um… I see," Ai said with a nod. She was still blushing, embarrassed from Estrizia's overly hands-on approach. Saber couldn't blame her at all, she was still embarrassed as well. What was with that nun? Weren't they not supposed to do things like that? Saber didn't know much about Christianity, but it felt like that was the case.

"Well, now that we've registered with the overseer, we never have to go back there again," Saber asserted. Quietly, Ai nodded, glancing back at the Church one more time as they proceeded away. "So she won't get a chance to be all… all… touchy-feely!"

It wasn't exactly an area Saber was experienced with, so she wasn't too sure how else to describe it. Still, now it was time to head home.

Ai leading the way once more, Saber glanced towards the sky. By this point, the sun had sunk quite low on the horizon, the sky painted a darker shade of origin, as shadows grew long and stretched away from their origins. With every moment, the light started to fade more and more. As they walked, Saber also noted that the streets were largely empty. She guessed that most of the people who were out earlier had sense gone home. On top of that, there simply weren't many people in this area of town to start with, so it wasn't exactly surprising that they were alone on their return home.

"… Um… Saber… you, um… you were okay with going out and getting clothing, right?" Ai asked, suddenly, stopping to turn and look up at her Servant, "It didn't feel like it was useless or unnecessary, right? I… I know you must be a lot better at planning out battles then I am, so… so if I do anything stupid I want you to tell me…"

The diminutive brunette girl trailed off into silence. Ah… there was that lack of confidence again…

"… Don't worry about it, Master," Saber answered, giving Ai a bright smile once more, "That wasn't stupid at all. I'm glad you're giving me the chance to walk around without using spirit form. These clothes help mask the fact that I'm a Servant. Um… you said yourself, earlier, that it was easy to forget I was a samurai!"

She nodded to herself, firmly.

"Even if I don't really understand it," she continued, "You already know I'm a Servant, so if you can forget something like that so easily, there's no way anyone else could recognize me as anything but a regular girl, right?"

"Ah, um… that's… that's right, um…" her Master replied, shuffling her feet a bit where she stood. It looked like Saber's words had gotten through to the small girl, at least! She hadn't gotten a chance to prove herself in battle, but so far she hoped she was able to help Ai cheer up, at least. It wasn't any good for her to leave her Master upset, if she could help it.

"… Um… er… is there anywhere, um… tomorrow is the weekend, so um…" stammered her Master, before taking a deep breath, "Is there anywhere you'd like to go during the day tomorrow? It's not like we can fight during the day, after all, um, and I don't have classes, so um… you could see more of the town and all…"

"Eh? Um…" Saber was taken aback by the sudden question. While she couldn't deny that seeing more of the city was important, well… once again, this isn't really what she had expected from being summoned as a Servant for the purposes of doing battle in the Holy Grail War. At the same time, she could hardly call it anything like unpleasant. No, rather, it was not an unwelcome surprise… but it was still quite surprising.

"Um… hm…" the platinum blonde girl had to take a few moments to think this through. Which of the shops had really stood out to her before? The most interesting ones had been restaurants, to be honest, but that wasn't all… oh, that bakery!

"I liked the look of that bakery!" declared Saber, rather cheerfully remembering the sweet scenes that had radiated from the shopfront. She'd seen all kinds of things through the glass, too… the taiyaki looked wonderful! "I really wanted to try their taiyaki, it looked delicious!"

"Ohhh…" Ai nodded to herself, "The Mimura Bakery… So Saber has a sweet tooth, then?"

"I guess I do!" the swordswoman responded, placing her hands on her hips, "I've always liked all kinds of sweets. My favorites are dumplings and konpeito, but if it's sweet I'll probably eat it!"

"Wow, so my Servant doesn't just have a sweet tooth, she has a super sweet tooth!" said Ai, "… Um… that was really lame, wasn't it…"

"Ehhh? No, it was fine, Master!" Saber replied with a wave of her hand to try and assuage her Master's worries, "I get what you mean. I like sweets a lot, so maybe it's some kind of enhanced sweet tooth, right?"

"Um… y-yeah!" Ai said, "That's it!"

For a moment, she fell silent, but Saber could feel the small brunette's eyes looking her body over once more.

"… Even if you're a samurai, I'm surprised you have that kind of figure when you ate so many sweets…" she commented, somewhat more quietly.

"Oh… I guess it's because I had a lot of exercise, so I burnt all the sugar off?" the silvery-eyed girl said, half to herself, as she looked down at herself. Yeah, she did eat plenty of sweet things in life, but at the same time she did plenty of training to keep herself overall fairly slender. Though… her Master's eyes seemed to linger on certain locations, for some reason… "And I don't think Servants can gain weight, so it's not really going to affect me now, anyway."

Well, whatever. At this point, it was becoming clear how dark it was outside. It was getting later and later.

"… Yeah, that must be it," her Master finally said, nodding to herself before looking back up towards the Saber-class Servant, "So we'll go to the bakery tomorrow, um… and then we'll set out and explore the rest of the town, everything that we missed today, so you have the full picture! Um, i-is that a good plan, Saber…?"

The girl samurai smiled.

"Of course, Master! I get to try out all kinds of sweets, and then I'll get to see the rest of our battlefield!" she responded, cheerfully. Of course, going to the bakery did feel kind of indulgent, but as long as they were also getting some more experience with the city's layout they were also doing something important to their efforts in the Holy Grail War. It was only a matter of time before they encountered an enemy Servant, but by exploring during the day they avoided being attacked when they were completely unprepared. It was a good strategy. None of the other Masters or Servants would risk charging out in the middle of the day to try and start a fight where anyone could catch a glimpse of their battle.

Therefore, exploring during the day was the best option. Granted, more isolated areas could still bring with them a risk of battle, but it was something to be prepared for. It was incredibly important to be prepared at all times, after all. The more populated areas were safe, though. They could explore the city during the day, then head out and prepare for battle at night.

"Y-yeah… maybe, um… n-never mind, um…" Ai trailed off, fidgeting. Ah? Had her Master been trying to say something else? But the brunette girl didn't continue. She simply remained quiet as they walked.

Just what had she meant to say, though? Saber couldn't help but feel a bit concerned, knowing that her Master was such a nervous and uncertain girl. But if she didn't want to say it, it was hardly the Servant's place to press her on the matter.

Moments passed. It grew even darker, the stars lighting the sky as they passed by streetlights.

"… I… I hope we can win, Saber…" Ai said, finally.

"… It's my job to win this, Master," replied the platinum blonde Servant, "And you can count on me. Don't worry about it, I'll make sure that we win somehow!"

"U-um… r-right! Right…"

This time, it didn't sound like Ai had mustered much confidence. But… Saber knew. She knew that she could win this. Even if her foes were powerful, and indeed they would be, she felt confident in herself. Here, in her homeland, the air was clear. The skill that could cripple her was left without its bite. She'd defend her Master, and together they could claim the Holy Grail. She could fight as she'd hoped she could. Her Master could win.

And then…

Before she saw anything, she felt it. That presence.

They were no longer alone. They had taken their time talking, they had taken too much time talking. The empty streets, the darkness of night cloaking them… of course it was the perfect time.

It was the perfect time for a battle between Servants, wasn't it?

In a split second, the mood had changed.

Ai stopped dead in her tracks.

"S… Saber…"

And ahead, finally, she saw the source of the presence she had felt.

Illuminated by the streetlight was an armored figure. In one hand, she clutched a long cavalry lance, white and gold. She had a long, blonde, braided ponytail, and the armor that covered her body was the armor of a European knight. Her features were beautiful and elegant, and she had strikingly brilliant blue eyes.

A cape fluttered in the breeze. Her armor matched the color of her weapon, white with gold decoration. On her hip was another weapon, a sheathed sword of some description. From this distance, there was no way for the girl samurai to tell what kind of blade it was.

There, before Ai and Saber, stood an enemy Servant.

"Saber, then?" called the enemy Servant, stepping forward as she did, raising her lance as she did. "Given what I overheard, it is only fair that I introduce myself by class as well. Lancer."

She bowed her head. As she did, Saber swiftly stepped forward. Pink motes of light travelled across her body, starting from her right. They fluttered through the air, resembling cherry blossom petals as they did, and once they had faded completely she was clad again in her blue and white kimono, one hand placing itself on the hilt of her katana.

"Stay back, Master," Saber asserted, her voice firm. All that Ai could manage as a small nod, her hands shaking.

"Worry not, Saber," Lancer replied, noting the way that Saber had stepped ahead to defend the diminutive brunette, "I am no barbarian. These may be transient bodies on a transient battlefield, but I will not stain my hands with unnecessary blood."

Saber nodded, standing firm. Her blade glinted in the moonlight.

"That maybe be so, but I do not want to risk my Master being caught up in our battle," she said, sliding her feet into a more ready stance.

"Of course, Saber," Lancer replied, with a nod, "This is to be a duel between a knight of the west and samurai of the east. To risk the death of your Master wouldn't be acceptable to such conditions."

Saber couldn't help but smile. Her first opponent in the Holy Grail War was at least an honorable one. They could conduct a one on one duel without tricks, or threats to either of their Masters.

"Then I will make no attempt to harm your Master, as well."

Though, she didn't see Lancer's Master anywhere nearby.

In the scant moments it took for Ai to retreat to a safe distance, Saber took stock of her enemy. The cavalry lance had no edges, meaning that at a close enough distance its threat could be neutralized. However, if swung hard enough, the blunt sides could still be a bludgeoning weapon. On top of that, the sword sheathed at Lancer's side could still be a threat at close range, as well. The armor seemed sturdy, but not impossible to pierce. It was unlikely that Lancer would be willing to use any of her Noble Phantasms on the first night. There was no guarantee this battle would end in any conclusive victory, and it was early in the war. Revealing your trump card was far too risky.

Therefore, if nothing else, Saber was confident she wouldn't have to deal with that. A battle strategy had formed in her mind already. Get in close, stay in close, and try to overwhelm her opponent with speed.

Her grip on her katana tightened. Her black scarf fluttered in the wind.

And then…

"Wait, Lancer!" a voice said from behind the enemy Servant, "Before you fight, there's something… there's something I need to check!"

Was that Lancer's Master? It had to be, who else would it be? And indeed, the figure that emerged from the darkness couldn't be anyone else. Saber quickly took in the details of her appearance. Tanned skin, from sunlight. Short, black hair, and a sleeveless top with a skirt. When she glanced back over her shoulder to confirm her Master had remained at a safe distance, she noticed, to her surprise, that her Master's eyes were rooted to the shape of the approaching Master. Did… did they know one another? There was no other explanation for that wide-eyed look, they had to.

But Saber couldn't let something like that get in the way. While she wouldn't attack the enemy Master without reason, in respect to her opponent, if Lancer or her Master made any sudden moves… well, she would act to defend Ai in any way she had to. No matter what.

"But... Master!" called Lancer, "She may have vowed not to harm you, but even still... stepping forward into the battlefield so suddenly is dangerous!"

The lance-wielding knight approached quickly, but the tanned girl raised a hand to make her stop. Reluctantly, Lancer halted her approach.

Saber's eyes followed the enemy Master. She didn't seem to have any hostile intent, but even still… She had to keep a close eye on her every movement. In battle, conditions could change with every instant.

She stopped a few meters away from Ai, cocking her head to one side.

"I never expected one of my opponents would be you, Matsushita-san," the black-haired girl said, simply.

Her trembling Master's eyes widened in shock, and she could exclaim only one thing.

"I… Inoue-san?!"


	3. Chapter 3

Her heart was hammering in her chest.

The girl who had been so nice to her, just yesterday. The student council president who seemed to be so welcoming to her. She now stood before her as an enemy Master in the Holy Grail War.

"… Maybe I should have expected it, but I guess I was hoping that a girl like you wouldn't be my opponent," Tsubaki said with a sigh, quietly folding her arms across her chest as she did, "But the timing was too coincidental. A Matsushita moving back into the Matsushita mansion right before the Holy Grail War…"

She glanced towards Saber, who was firmly glaring at her.

"I guess it was a bit naïve of me to think that it wasn't connected."

Ai managed to compose herself enough to speak, stammering.

"I-Inoue-san… y-you're… you're really…" she trailed off. She couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe that the only person who spoke to her on her first day at the new high school was now her opponent. Vaguely, memories of other magus families in this city surfaced in her mind, but it had been so long since she had lived here she simply couldn't recall their names. Had the Inoue been one of them? And her Servant…

"A Master?" questioned Tsubaki, "It's true. I… can't say I really want to fight you, Matsushita-san. It's not like I've known you for very long, but… well, it doesn't matter at this point. We're enemies."

She sighed again.

"But let's take pride in this battle as magi," she said, raising her head with a forced smile, "Our Servants will clash, and whatever the outcome of the battle, I don't want to say that I regretted it."

Ai's hands trembled as she watched the black-haired girl's eyes travel once again to Saber, and then Lancer as well.

"Our Servants are a step ahead of me. I didn't want to kill any other Masters."

"I wouldn't allow you to," Saber interjected firmly, her gaze far more intense then it had been just moments before, her eyes narrowing.

"Of course," replied Tsubaki, before turning on her heel and proceeding back towards the lance-wielding night. Weakly, Ai found herself raising her hand, reaching out towards the taller girl.

"I… Inoue-san…"

"Matsushita," the tanned girl began, "From here on out, we're enemies in this Holy Grail War."

Slowly, the small brunette's hand fell limply at her side. It… it had been foolish of her anyway, hadn't it? To think that she may have had a friend. Of course, something like this was the only outcome.

"… Master, whatever you may be thinking," Saber started, "Now is the time for you to stand back. This is a battle between Servants."

Ai nodded, raising her head as she did. Tsubaki… Tsubaki was her enemy, now. She had a duty to fulfill. She was here for a reason. She was going to do this in the name of her organization.

In the name of her family.

"… You're… you're right, Saber," she replied, quietly. The glasses-wearing girl took a deep breath.

"S… so… show me what you can do."

Saber nodded.

Her katana gleamed in the moonlight.

By this point, Tsubaki had reached a safe distance behind Lancer, who raised her cavalry lance.

"I may not know your name, but I can tell by the way you carry yourself," Lancer commented, "You are a master of the sword. I'm honored to begin this Grail War with such an opponent."

Ai watched, her heartbeat growing ever faster. This was… this was really about to happen. Saber and Lancer were really about to fight.

"I could say the same of you, Lancer," the platinum blonde samurai responded, "Even though I do not know your name, you are the very image of a skilled knight. So I won't hold back."

The knight nodded.

"Neither will I."

What happened next was incredibly difficult to follow. Ai's eyes were rooted to the two Servants, and yet she still had trouble understanding what had transpired. In an instant, Lancer had cleared the distance between the two combatants. Ai had felt the air pressure from the thrust of the knight's lance, even from this distance. And yet, Saber had responded with incredible speed, and in a shower of sparks from the clash of their weapons, she had moved to the side in the blink of an eye!

The girl's vision was almost incapable of registering what followed, as Saber's katana flashed forward in a thrust that Lancer was only just able to block in another shower of sparks! This battle… the power and speed at play… she almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was beyond anything she had even experienced in her life.

So, this was a battle between Servants?

The two warriors parted, their weapons glinting in the light of the moon.

"… That speed," Lancer said, eyeing Saber's katana as she did, "I've never clashed with a faster opponent!"

"It's nice to hear a fellow warrior say such things. Your strength is impressive, as well, Lancer," Saber replied.

Ai couldn't make out what followed. To her, both Servants suddenly seemed to blur, and then there was the briefest flash of light and sparks as their weapons clashed once more. She thought she could make out Saber's katana sliding across the surface of Lancer's lance from underneath before having it forced away. The tip of Lancer's weapon bit into the road, rending a large gash through the concrete in an instant!

The power on display was almost incomprehensible to Ai. A thrust from Lancer's weapon was deftly dodged by Saber in a display of blinding speed, but she still had to block a followup sweep from the weapon that sent her skidding across the ground. But without even a moment's pause she lunged forward again, staying close to try and keep as much pressure on as she could!

It was completely unreal. Saber's movements were lightning fast, and the attacks from both Servants were causing bursts of air pressure even from this distance. It was terrifying. Ai was absolutely terrified, yet entranced.

Moonlight flashed off of the girl samurai's blade with each motion, as she struck again and again. She was the faster of the two, Ai felt certain, based on what little she could see. But Lancer… Lancer was a powerful fighter in full armor. Each one of her blows was enough to create blasts of wind from the sheer force of her thrusts. Again and again, the Servants clashed, and again and again they parted. It was an impossible battle underway in front of her very eyes.

Saber's katana locked against Lancer's cavalry lance, and for a few moments, both weapons simply ground against one another. The tip of Lancer's weapon was unable to threaten Saber, and yet Saber was incapable of pushing closer to attack from this angle.

"Truly, the samurai are warriors worthy of respect," said the blonde knight, pressing the rounded side of her lance against the swordswoman's katana. Saber stepped back, but slammed her foot down to prevent herself from losing any further ground.

"As are those who have obtained knighthood, Lancer!" Saber declared, even as their weapons shuddered against one another.

"To hold back would be an insult, Saber. Therefore…"

There was a sound like a hurricane, as light suddenly swirled around Lancer's cavalry lance before erupting outwards. Saber's eyes widened as she stepped back, disengaging from the conflict just in time to be sent hurtling away!

"Ah?! Saber!" Ai's eyes widened and she took a step forward, one hand outstretched as she watched her Servant hurtle towards the nearby wall. The impact of the girl samurai's body caused the concrete to crumble, casting up a cloud of dust. Had she been hurt!? She had to have been, there was no way… Had she already failed? Had Saber been injured already?!

There was little time to think of such things. Lance blazing, the knight's cape fluttered in the wind as she tore towards the spot where Saber had fallen, weapon raised and ready to pierce the dust cloud and the girl within.

Seconds before impact, Saber suddenly darted out of the cloud to the left, her blade flashing with moonlight as she spun on her heel and thrust her blade forward! Even from this distance, Ai could see it bite through Lancer's upper arm, slicing through her sleeve and the flesh underneath to deliver a shallow cut! She hadn't landed a direct blow, but she'd managed to injure the enemy Servant!

Lancer's response was to thrust her weapon forward, nearly running Saber through, but the samurai swiftly darted back out of range.

But now Ai could see it from here, that Saber had been injured in the blast as well, blood staining her right side. It didn't look serious, but… still, this was the scariest experience Ai had ever been through. She didn't want to see Saber keep getting hurt, she didn't want to see her be defeated here… she didn't want to see Saber die!

But all the small brunette could do here was stand and tremble in her own impotence. There was no way she could assist in this fight… except to continue to supply her Servant mana. That was helpful, wasn't it?

And yet it didn't feel like it… What's more, Tsubaki was standing off to the side and watching as well, still looking confident… She still couldn't believe that the student council president was one of the enemy Masters. Who else could be? It could be anyone, couldn't it?!

The light around Lancer's weapon faded, as she stabbed with it once more, driving it directly for Saber's chest. There were no more words between the two Servants. Both of them were entirely, completely focused on their battle. The tip of the knight's lance tore into the wall when Saber dodged, but instead of simply pulling it out and adjusting her aim, Lancer dragged her weapon through the concrete and swung it to attempt to strike the samurai!

And even as she did that, Saber used the flat of her blade to deflect her opponent's blow, the weapons sliding along one another once more… until a sudden burst of strength from Lancer sent Saber stumbling away!

Ai had no idea who had the upper hand. She had no idea if Saber was going to win or lose. She had no idea what was going to happen next. She couldn't predict any part of this battle and that fact was terrifying to her. It wasn't as if she had been good at guessing anyway, but this was something far more serious, far more dire, then a simple guessing game.

As Lancer's cavalry lance was thrust forward once more, Saber almost seemed to disappear for an instant, reappearing too close to be in Lancer's strike range!

"Ah?!" the blonde knight exclaimed in surprise, unprepared for the sudden move! Saber's katana struck downward, cleaving the air before biting into Lancer's chestplate! But the armor prevented it from cutting deep, and instead of cutting through the enemy's body it instead left a thin gash in her white and gold armor.

Another burst of light sent Saber hurtling back, somersaulting backwards before catching herself this time, with no wall in the way.

"… The capability to reduce the space between yourself and the enemy in an instant," stated Lancer, glancing down at her armor as she did, "With every moment, you become more and more of a worthy opponent, Saber."

"Your ability to react to my attack was incredible, Lancer," said the samurai, "I may have gashed your armor, but you were able to knock me away before I could take advantage of that!"

Even the moments where both her Servant and the enemy stopped to compliment one another were tense for Ai. No, not simply tense. They were nerve-wracking. What could possibly happen next?!

Gripping her lance in both hands, the knight slid her feet into a ready stance. Saber followed, her gleaming katana shimmering as she raised it parallel to her head, squaring up for another strike.

And then…!

Both Servants stopped in their tracks. When Lancer glanced to her left, Saber's eyes followed. Confused, trembling, Ai's gazed followed theirs as well…

And fell on the sight of a small girl. She had to have been no older then nine or ten, distinctive silver hair and gold eyes immediately notable. Otherwise, she was wearing what seemed to be a beret, with a white shirt and long blue skirt.

There… there was a witness?

"… Damn it," Ai heard Tsubaki say, "This is all my fault for starting a fight here. Lancer, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but you're going to have to catch her."

"… Yes, Master," replied the knight, turning to face the little girl fully. Eyes widening, the witness turned to run.

"I-Inoue-san!" cried Ai, stepping forward as Saber hesitatingly lowered her blade. She… she couldn't believe that the friendly student council president she'd spoken to the other day would ever order the death of a child. Even if they were a witness, that didn't mean they had to be killed, did it? It couldn't. She didn't want to kill in the name of keeping the war a secret.

"I'm not going to kill her, Matsushita," replied the black-haired girl, "'A magus should close her heart off' is easy to say, but there's no need to kill a child when I can modify her memories."

The small brunette relaxed slightly. It was the outcome she had hoped for, at least. In a war that had to remain a secret, witnesses couldn't be allowed to spread the story, no matter what. But… that didn't mean they had to kill them if they could help it, right?

The knight darted towards the slowly fleeing figure.

"… Master," Saber began, "It's not as if I don't trust Lancer's judgement, but… I'd like to make sure that little girl isn't hurt in the process."

"A-ah? Um… o-of course, Saber…" Ai responded with a nod. Saber returned the gesture, but as she moved to follow Lancer(who had just caught up with the witness almost immediately)…

A trio of gunshots rang out. Saber broke into a sprint, covering the distance between herself and Lancer in an instant. Ai could see a spurt of crimson as one of the bullets struck Lancer in the upper arm, even as she attempted to dodge! Before the other two shots could make contact, Saber had intervened, deflecting the gunshots away.

But who had fired?!

It was an easily-answered question.

Standing atop a lamppost was a young man with blonde hair, wearing what looked unmistakably like a cowboy hat. In fact, all his attire looked like it belonged in America's Wild West.

There was no way he was anything but another Servant.

"My my, can't say I expected that," he commented, with a nod of his head. He tipped his hat. "Howdy."

He nodded towards the little girl, who quickly got to her feet and started running again.

"You… you used this as a chance to interrupt our duel!?" snapped Lancer, lowering her hand from her wounded shoulder to raise her weapon with both. Saber on the other hand, said nothing, instead keeping her silver-gold gaze on the newly-arrived Servant.

A Servant that uses guns? Ai didn't know such a thing was possible. Who was he? She couldn't even be certain of a class, yet…

"Now now, it wasn't my idea," the cowboy Servant said, his revolver trained on Saber and Lancer as he waved one hand, "I woulda been happy to watch you two ladies duke it out. Those were some mighty fine skills on display there. But there was a plan here, 'n I wasn't about to go ignorin' it."

"… How long have you been watching?" Saber questioned, her katana raised and ready as her gaze remained on the gun-wielding Servant perched on the lamppost.

"Hmmm… Think I caught the start of your fight," he answered, looking thoughtful, "I've been watchin' ever since then. I was told to be cautious, after all, 'n I have no problem with layin' low. Not sure I'm a big fan of usin' her as bait, though…"

He sighed.

"I'd like to hang around 'n chat, but my Master's the cautious type. I'd wanted to test my aim against the both of you, but I guess that's gonna have to wait."

"You…!"

Before Lancer could say anything more, the gun-wielding Servant dissipated into gold light, fading away entirely as he entered spirit form.

'Using her as bait'? What… what had the enemy Servant meant by that? Was the little girl part of whatever plan had been formed between the cowboy and his Master? Ai had no idea.

Saber and Lancer lowered their weapons.

"Lancer!"

Tsubaki sprinted over to her Servant, peering at her injured arm.

"Ah… It's all the way through… I'm sorry, I can't fully heal this without a little more time," she said with a frown, before glancing towards Saber.

Ai made her way over as quickly as she could, as well. What was going to happen now? Were the Servants going to begin their duel all over again?

"… It's alright, Lancer," said Saber with a smile, "I'll let you recover. It'd spoil our match if you were injured due to someone else's intervention, wouldn't it?"

"I…" Lancer trailed off for a moment, "… Thank you, Saber. I will most certainly finish my duel with you."

Saber nodded.

"I'm looking forward to it!" she said, brightly. It was… almost surreal. They'd both been fighting, but now Saber was acting so cheerful again… how did she manage it? Even considering she was a warrior whose life had been filled with conflict, to bounce back so quickly after such a ferocious battle… Ai couldn't even begin to fathom it. She was still shaking, trembling as she watched the two.

Tsubaki let out a sigh, but she seemed somewhat relieved. It looked like she was more concerned about mending Lancer's arm than anything else.

"… Well… you heard them, Matsushita," she began, glancing towards the small brunette, "We'll have to finish this fight later."

She turned away, Lancer following her. Soon enough, they had made their way off down the road.

Pink lights like cherry blossom petals fluttered across Saber's body again, and she was once again clad in the casual outfit they'd purchased hours earlier.

"… Th-that… that was…" Ai stammered, trembling.

"… Whew, Lancer's a really strong opponent!" Saber declared, cheerfully, though her tone became serious moments afterwards, "I wish we could have figured out what that cowboy Servant's class was, at least… But I'm looking forward to a rematch!"

"… S-Saber, I… I…"

"… Ah," the girl samurai turned towards her Master, "… That was pretty scary for you, wasn't it?"

All that Ai could do was slowly nod, shuddering. Scary was an understatement, it had been terrifying. Even worse was the fact that Tsubaki was one of her enemies. Did that mean anyone in her class, anyone in the entire school even, could potentially be an enemy Master? The thought of that made her feel like paranoia was the only way to approach this. At the same time though… Saber's skills had been incredible. She was so fast, she'd displayed so much skill, she had done things that Ai frankly hadn't been able to comprehend in the battle with Lancer.

At the very least, based on her Servant's skills, she felt somewhat hopeful. To some extent.

"I'm here to protect you, Master," said Saber, giving the small brunette a confident smile, "So you don't have to be scared. I'll keep you safe!"

That did genuinely feel somewhat reassuring, now… There was a difference between learning your Servant is a skilled fighter and actually seeing it first-hand. The battle she had witnessed far surpassed humanity. It surpassed anything she had ever seen before. As they began to walk again, the image of the fight played out over and over again in her head.

Ai had witnessed her first battle between Servants, and it had been the most frightening and awe-inspiring event she had ever seen in her entire life.

The rest of the walk home was thankfully uneventful. It was much later then Ai had originally planned to return home, and there was absolutely no way she was going to manage to sleep properly any time soon. When they arrived, Marianne was at the door.

"Oh, my, Saber-chan~ You look quite delightful in that outfit~" declared the maid, brightly, as both Master and Servant entered the mansion after removing their shoes.

"Er, thank you!" replied the girl samurai awkwardly. Ah… she really was so pretty, though… even during the battle, she had looked beautiful. So wasn't it natural that she looked beautiful in this outfit, and any other outfit?

At the very least, that's what Ai thought at the moment. But Saber seemed to feel awkward about being complimented… At least when it came to her looks. She was filled with pride by comments about her abilities, but her looks were another matter entirely.

"I was just preparing dinner, ojou-sama," Marianne said, smiling cheerily… until she noticed the fact that Ai was still shaking. "… Ojou-sama, did something happen?"

".. I… u-um…" the small brunette stammered. Memories of the fight rose in her mind once again… she wasn't sure how she could handle another battle like that. But… she had to, it's why she was here… It was why she had summoned Saber. It was all for the purposes of winning the Holy Grail War. So she had to figure out how to handle seeing another fight like that, being so close to such a battle…

Especially since their next opponent could very well not be as honorable as Lancer was.

"… She witnessed her first battle in the war," Saber finally explained for her.

"Oh… I see," the maid responded, nodding.

Ai couldn't help but feel thankful for her Servant's decision to explain, but almost immediately afterwards she remembered that Saber had been injured.

"A-ah, Saber, your i-injury!"

Without thinking, Ai suddenly grasped at Saber's shirt and raised it up.

"E-eh?!"

But beneath… there was no sign of an injury. Nothing but pale, smooth, soft skin.

"M-Master, th-that was really sudden!" Saber complained, blushing and pushing her shirt back down. "I-I know you helped me pick out outfits earlier, but that doesn't mean you can just take off my shirt…"

"I… I-I wasn't…" quite embarrassed herself, Ai's hands dropped at her sides as she averted her eyes, "B-but… you were hurt… I-I saw he blood, um…"

"… Oh… it wasn't that bad, Servants like me have spiritual bodies," the girl samurai explained, "A minor injury won't last too long!"

"… O-oh, um… o-oh," the small girl fidgeted, feeling rather stupid for failing to consider that fact. Of course Servants were spiritual bodies. They were Heroic Spirits, after all. Their physical forms were composed out of mana. Naturally minor injuries didn't pose much of a threat to someone like that. "I… I-I'm sorry…"

At this, Marianne giggled.

"And here, I was worried ojou-sama would be practically catatonic after something like that," she stated, brightly, "It's not as if the Holy Grail War isn't serious, but there's nothing you can do about it right now other than plan, ojou-sama. So why don't you and Saber-chan have some dinner before deciding on your future strategy~?"

At this point, there wasn't much to do if Ai had even wanted to argue about that. And she truly didn't. She was hungry, and scared, and just wanted to do something normal. She was still remembering the blood seeping through the fabric of Saber's kimono… even if she possessed a transient body, even if she was summoned for the purposes of fighting in the Holy Grail War, was it truly okay to have the silver-gold-eyed girl fight for her like this? Was it right? It… it had to be, didn't it? That was what the entire ritual of the Holy Grail War was built upon.

"You don't have to apologize for being concerned, Master," Saber said, her tone at least somewhat reassuring. "… But I'd like it if you apologized for undressing me so suddenly in front of Marianne-san!"

"A-ah, um, hawawawa…"

Snapped out of her more morose thoughts by Saber's abrupt request, Ai tried to compose herself.

"Oh, believe me, I didn't mind at all~" commented the maid, happily, "Fufufu~"

"S-sorry… u-um… I… um… I w-wasn't thinking…" she finally stammered, shifting quietly from one foot to the other. Saber gave her a smile.

"That's all I needed," replied the girl samurai brightly, "Marianne-san, is the food ready?"

"Almost~" responded the maid. "It's nearly done, you came home just in time."

The mundanity of the situation was surreal. This was after Saber's battle with Lancer, and yet now things seemed almost normal again as she slowly headed into the dining hall. Even after eating, and preparing for bed, Ai couldn't help but continue to think about it. About what would happen next, what would occur in the course of the Holy Grail War.

As she got into bed, she couldn't stop thinking about what terrible things could happen in these battles.

Even knowing Saber was guarding the door, it took a long time before Ai was able to sleep.

* * *

The next morning was a rather groggy one. Ai awoke slowly, having taken quite some time to get to sleep, and was helped with her morning routine by Charlotte.

When she went into the bathroom, however… she stopped dead in her tracks, surprised, when she saw Saber's pale form occupying the stall.

Her creamy-white, smooth skin, her slender back… the heat in Ai's cheeks rose higher as her eyes travelled downward from the Servant's shoulders to her hips as water ran down that slim frame…

It was at that moment that Saber looked back over her shoulder. Her hair, out of its usual ponytail, was soaking wet and hanging loosely. Noticing the presence of her Master, the girl samurai cocked her head slightly at the sudden intrusion, her cheeks only faintly red.

"Master? Marianne-san said I could use the shower."

At that, blushing furiously, Ai backed out of the bathroom and shut the door. Ah… her Servant's body was really… it was far, far too embarrassing for the short brunette. There was no way she could handle having seen that for any longer.

On the other side of the door, even over the sound of running water, she heard her Servant's confused "Eeeehhh?"

She instead decided to wait, quietly, flustered, until Saber exited the shower. Once she did, apologizing for having failed to exit the shower before Ai woke up, the small brunette quickly continued her morning routine without responding. It was just… too embarrassing for her to talk about it. She wanted to try and do something more normal during the day, today, even if it served the dual purpose of continuing to familiarize Saber with the town as well.

Breakfast was a fairly traditional meal, once again curteousy of Marianne. As with all of the maid's cooking, it was delicious. Saber looked overjoyed with every bite, which… well, there was no way Ai could consider that as anything but cute as she watched.

Eventually, they had finished their meal and gotten ready to go. Ai hesitated a little, before reminding herself that there was almost no chance that they would be attacked during the day. With this fact in mind, she managed to calm her pounding heartbeat and set foot outside, once again leading Saber through town.

"Eh-heh… sorry about that, earlier," Saber said as they departed, scratching the back of her head with a somewhat awkward smile, "Like I said, er, I thought I'd be done before you woke up… it was kind of embarrassing."

"U-um… i-it's okay," said Ai, weakly, blushing deeper. It looked like Saber had no idea just how much that particular experience had affected the small brunette, to be honest…

It was a rather hot day, and while Ai didn't feel very good about that fact, she couldn't help but notice that Saber didn't seem bothered at all. Was it because she was wearing light clothing again? Maybe, but it was more likely that a spiritual being such as a Servant simply wasn't bothered by the temperature. For a moment, the glasses-wearing girl felt a sudden spike of jealousy at the thought. If she could simply ignore hot or cold temperatures… Ah, it was some distant fantasy, wasn't it?

The shopping district was crowded once more, just as it had been yesterday. Ai wasn't really a fan of crowds like this at all, but for the sake of some level of normalcy she had managed to put aside her anxiety for the time being. Saber, on the other hand, mostly seemed excited about the chance to visit the bakery.

"Aaah, that taiyaki looked so good… and they had all kinds of other pastries, too!" said the platinum blonde girl excitedly as she began to approach. After a moment, however, she paused and turned to face her Master.

"… You're really okay with buying food for me, though? Even though I don't really need to eat?" she asked.

"Um, it's fine, Saber… I've got a lot of money so it's not like I can't afford it, eh-heheh…"

To be completely honest, the small brunette couldn't deny there were certain other ulterior motives to her choice to go to the bakery. Not only for the sake of some normalcy, not only to familiarize Saber with the town…

But also because Saber looked really cute when she was enjoying some food.

Soon enough, they had reached the bakery, and Saber rushed ahead excitedly to look in the windows. It was really… it was really so very cute. When her Servant wasn't being a serious warrior, she acted like some really cute, cheerful schoolgirl type… It was almost enough to make her forget what she was really looking at. To forget that this girl was also an incredibly, impossibly skilled fighter, even after seeing her do battle against Lancer and deflect bullets so swiftly, was almost too easy.

But as her Servant cheerfully attempted to decide which pastry she wanted to try, someone approached Ai from behind…

"Matsushita-san, I need to talk to you."

It was Tsubaki's voice. Flinching, Ai swiftly turned around, eyes widening at the sight of the other, taller girl. She was clad in a short-sleeved shirt and skirt, and beside her stood… Ah… it was Lancer. But as opposed to her armor, Lancer was wearing a white sundress and a straw hat with a wide brim.

"I-I-Inoue-san…" Ai stammered, eyes drifting between the two as her hands shook. Memories of the fight from last night rose once more in her mind. Even if Lancer had promised not to attack her…

Almost immediately, Saber was again at her side.

"This is not about our rematch, Saber," Lancer said, glancing towards her Master.

"Ah?" Saber looked confused, looking between the knight and Tsubaki for a moment. Ai was confused too, what reason could they have for meeting here during the day? If they were enemies, didn't that mean that they were only going to meet in battle?

"Can we talk somewhere private? Including our Servants, of course," Tsubaki said, glancing towards Saber as she did, "At least, somewhere more out of the way."

After a moment of hesitation, Ai nodded. This… seemed like it was important, if Tsubaki came to talk to her during the day. And, well, right now Lancer didn't look nearly as threatening. In fact, she… looked pretty cute, wearing that white sundress and straw hat like that… her blonde braid was so pretty, too.

After a few moments, the four girls had found their way to a nearby café(Saber casting a wistful glance towards the bakery in the process). While it would normally be more populated, there weren't many people getting lunch at this time of the day, so it allowed for relative solitude.

"S-so, um…" Ai began, before taking a deep breath to compose herself. She couldn't keep acting scared right now… this was a serious discussion, right? "So what's going on? Why did you want to talk to me?"

"Well… I guess I should start from the beginning," Tsubaki said, with a sigh, "This is something I've been worried about for a while, but I didn't start to make the connection until now."

Ai waited patiently. Saber was listening… but also looking the café's menu over as she did.

"Two days before you came to school for the first time, a girl by the name of Yumimura Saori suddenly stopped coming to school," the tanned girl started, "You might think that she's just been sick… but the thing is, her parents haven't seen her, either. No-one has seen her for four days, now."

Ai's eyes widened. That was horrible. Had she been kidnapped? At the same time, though… what did this have to do with the Holy Grail War? It was something the police should take care of, right? She felt guilty for thinking of it that way, but she didn't know what she could do, even considering she was a magus and she had Saber now.

"Yumimura-san was last seen leaving school five days ago," Tsubaki continued, "No-one has seen her since then. It's… I hate thinking about it. I might be a magus, but thinking about the fact that one of my fellow students has been kidnapped, or worse…"

The black-haired girl frowned and folded her arms.

"I can't stand the idea that someone did that to her," she concluded. Ai nodded weakly, it wasn't something nice to contemplate, but she still didn't quite understand how this connected to the war. "But I'm not here to drag you into my concerns, Matsushita-san. It was about a day after she vanished that I noticed something else was out of the ordinary, and last night on the way home, Lancer and I discovered something that confirmed my suspicions."

Ai hesitated, before managing to speak once more.

"What… what did you find?" she asked.

Tsubaki reached into her bag, drawing out a piece of paper. On that paper was something the small brunette immediately recognized, though she had never seen this particular one before. It was a rune, one used to produce some form of magical effect. She knew of runes, and could identify some, but this one in particular didn't look like any she had seen before.

"It's the second one I'd seen," explained Tsubaki, "The first was behind the school. I tried to erase them, but there's something powerful keeping them in place, preventing them from being completely destroyed. If I had to make a guess… I'd suspect Caster is behind them."

If Caster was behind the runes… that would make sense, wouldn't it? But what were they for?

"If it was Caster, then what are the runes for?" Saber asked, voicing her Master's thoughts.

"I'm… not certain, but they could be made for constructing some kind of bounded field across a wide area," the black-haired girl responded, "They placed their runes along the leylines in the city, but I think I've delayed them by trying to erase them."  
Tsubaki huffed.

"It doesn't matter what the spell is attempting to do, I can't abide something like this. Casting a bounded field across such a massive area is going to catch a lot of innocent people in it," the student council president added, "And what's more, I'm convinced the timing of Yumimura-san's disappearance isn't a coincidence."

Ai was silent for a moment, before taking a deep breath.

"I'm glad that you're a good person, Inoue-san…" she said, finally. It was true… it was a relief to know. Not just this, but the previous night. When she had thought there was a witness, instead of setting out to kill her, Tsubaki instead intended to rewrite her memories and let her go.

"Eh? Er…" the tanned girl smiled weakly, "I try, I guess… Even if being a mage has nothing to do with being a good person. But I don't think it's impossible to be both."

"She is a Master I am proud to serve under," asserted Lancer, "Had she been a wicked person, I couldn't have tolerated her."

"I'm glad, eh-heheh…" Ai laughed awkwardly. It was bad enough being an enemy with the first person she'd talked to in her new school… but at least she was genuinely a good person. But there were more important matters to discuss. "… But about these runes, um… what do you want me to do?"

"It's simple," answered Tsubaki, "Four sets of eyes are better then two, aren't they? We'll put off our conflict and track down as many of these runes as we can, so we can try and weaken as many of them as we can. I don't think that we can erase them, especially if it's Caster, but we can stop them from activating for a little while."

The girl smiled.

"That can buy us enough time to track them down."

As nervous as Ai was, she had to admit to herself that all of this made sense. Even if they had been made enemies by the circumstances of the Holy Grail War, she had no reason to doubt Tsubaki's words at this point. In fact, if anything, the fact that she came here and explained all of this made her seem more trustworthy.

"My Master can use her familiars to search for more of these symbols, too," proposed Saber. Ah… Ai felt a little foolish. She'd mentioned her cat familiars the night before, and yet she hadn't even begun to think of how useful they would be in this situation. Saber had managed to think of that possibility before she had, even though she'd only learned they existed less than a day ago.

"Eh-heheh, um, that's right…" said the small brunette, fidgeting and adjusting her glasses, "I can send them out across the city…"

"Even better," replied Tsubaki, with a nod, "Good. We'll be able to keep the spell from activating, at least. After lunch, I'll take you to the schoolyard so we can disable the ones I know about first."

Indeed, after lunch(both Saber and Lancer ate quite a bit), both pairs of girls departed for the high school first.

"Have you found anything out about that Servant from last night?" Saber asked Lancer. The hat-wearing knight shook her head.

"It's been a rather short time between then and now," responded Lancer, "I think it's somewhat unwise to believe we'd have discovered more information so quickly."

Saber gave an apologetic smile.

"Regardless, he's either Archer, Rider, or Assassin," Lancer continued, "He exhibited too much finesse to be Berserker, and his weapons are unfitting of Caster."

"He seemed to come from the American west," Saber offered, "If that's the case, I think those probably are the most likely classes. I'm still angry with him for interrupting our duel!"

It was strange… Saber and Lancer were talking so amiably, like they hadn't been engaged in battle last night attempting to kill each other. Was it because both of them accepted their roles as Servants? Because they had fought honorably and agreed on conditions of battle? It was something Ai had a difficult time understanding.

"The both of you sound like best friends," commented Tsubaki, as she lead the way, "Lancer, don't forget that you'll have to fight her eventually."

"Worry not, Master," responded be blonde knight, adjusting her hat, "I would never forget my duty. But Saber is an honorable and challenging opponent, worthy of amiable treatment. And as for the moment we stand as allies."

Saber glanced at Ai, and then gave her own opinion.

"Lancer is someone I can respect," she explained, "So I want to treat her well while I can. I know we're going to have to fight, and I'm looking forward to it, but that doesn't mean that we can't respect one another as warriors!"

"Matsushita-san," Tsubaki addressed the short brunette, with a giggle, "I think your Servant has fallen for mine."

"E-eh?" Ai blinked, before looking towards Saber. It sounded silly, of course, but for the briefest moment it had the glasses-wearing girl wondering if there was even the smallest trace of truth behind it.

"Eeeeehhhh?!" exclaimed the girl samurai, "The relationship of respect between honorable warriors, it's… er… i-it's not like that!"

"Oh? What about you, Lancer?" the student council president continued, glancing towards her own Servant as she did, "Are you getting a crush on your first enemy in this war?"

"…"

Blushing in embarrassment, the blonde knight looked away. Ai couldn't help but think it was really pretty cute… was the reason that Tsubaki brought this subject up because she wanted to see things like that?

"… M… Master, you know that's preposterous," she replied, "I do not understand why you insist on saying ridiculous things. It… it is the only flaw I can find with being your Servant."

"Aw, you shouldn't be like that," Tsubaki responded, giving an exaggerated pout, "I'm just curious about my Servant's feelings!"

"… I do not consider such things, Master."

It was another surreal moment. Just last night, Ai had witnessed Saber and Lancer fighting furiously, trying to kill one another, but now the two of them were talking like nothing had happened. And Tsubaki was teasing them… was this really what she should have expected?

And then she felt it.

The air felt… thick somehow. Heavy… She hadn't noticed it before. As they approached the school, there was an oppressive sensation.  
"Master," began Saber, looking straight towards the high school as she did, "This feeling…"

"The rune is active again," Tsubaki stated, grimly, "That's not good. It didn't take long for it to reactivate at all. I suppose if our enemy is Caster, we should have expected something like this."

"It feels like… like the air is changing…" Ai said. It was almost like it was becoming harder to breath.

"At this point, the average person wouldn't be feeling a thing," Tsubaki added, as they began to cut around the right side of the school, "But a magus… it might not be harmful yet, but we can tell it's there. You can feel it too, can't you, Lancer?"

"It's like the air has become thick," replied the knight, nodding, "Whatever this spell may be, it must be halted as soon as possible."

Saber nodded.

The four of them began to make their way across the track field, towards the shed where the sports equipment was held. Ai hadn't been back here, given she'd only attended one day, and part of her hoped she could somehow avoid it. Strenuous physical activity had never been her strongsuit.

But today she was here for something much more important.

Around the back of the building was a sickly, green rune, inscribed onto the corrugated metal walls of the shed. Just looking at it, somehow, felt nauseating…

"… I… I don't know anything about magecraft," Saber began, glaring towards the symbol as she did, "But even I can tell that's dangerous."

Tsubaki didn't respond, instead simply kneeling near the rune. There was a faint humming sound as she raised her palm towards it, a light appearing from the center of her hand as she narrowed her eyes, focusing on the rune. After a few moments, the sickly green faded into a dull grey, and the glow disappeared entirely.

"… There. Do you see now?" Tsubaki said, standing up straight and facing Ai.

The short girl understood. It was a matter of nullifying the runes, since they couldn't remove them entirely.

"We have to stop the runes from activating for as long as we can," she replied, "… But if we can't find Caster quickly… we'll have to keep coming out to them all, won't we?"

"There's no guarantee we'll keep being able to stop them, as well," Tsubaki added, "So we need to find Caster and defeat them as soon as we can."

"Y-yes…" the pressure had gone up exponentially for Ai, now. On one hand, she knew she had to do this. For the sake of protecting the innocent people the spell could affect, but also for preserving the secrecy of Magecraft. Such a massive spell coming to completion would be impossible to miss. But doubts were creeping into her mind, now. If they couldn't find Caster, what would happen when the runes activated? There was no way of knowing.

"I'll find Caster, so don't worry about that!" declared Saber with a confident smile.

Ai wished she could have some of that self-assuredness.

But right now, what was important was to try and make sure that they nullified all of these sigils that they could find. The bigger the hole they made in the network of runes, the longer time they would have to track down Caster. Even if she wasn't feeling very confident, at least Ai knew what she had to do in order to ensure that the bounded field didn't activate sooner than later.

From the school, they headed to the park. On the opposite end of the park to where Ai and Saber had visited the other day, a rune was placed at the base of a large, old tree, obscured somewhat by the brush. This time, Ai handled it, feeling the mana flowing through her circuits as she subverted the rune and disabled it, at least for now.

"Now… your familiars, Matsushita-san?" Tsubaki asked, as she watched the small brunette straighten.

"Ah… yes!"

Ai took a deep breath and focused for a moment. She simply had to call all her familiars back to this location, to give them the image of what they would be looked for… A few moments later, a large number of small, white cats suddenly flooded into the park. Ai had created a total of a dozen cat familiars, and they soon had surrounded her.

"Wow… Master, they're… they're all so cute!" declared Saber, excitedly, kneeling and reaching out to touch one of the familiars. It didn't pay much attention to her, instead entirely focused on Ai.

"Inoue-san, can you give me the picture again?" Ai asked, glancing towards the taller girl as she knelt within her crowd of familiars. Reaching out, she stroked one of the cats behind the ears, and it purred. If there was one thing she was confident in, it was her ability to command and direct her familiars. Tsubaki handed her the sheet of paper, and she showed it to the swarm of felines.

Soon enough, they all filtered away, spreading out across the city. Including the one Saber had been petting. The girl samurai looked visibly disappointed, but she quickly straightened.

"So they're looking for the runes too?" the platinum blonde swordswoman asked. Ai nodded.

"They can get into places we can't, too," she said, "So even if we can't reach the runes, at least we'll know where they are…"

"That doesn't mean we can relax," insisted Tsubaki, "We need to start searching for more runes."

Lancer folded her arms. "I agree, being idle because your familiars are performing their search is absolutely foolish."

"I-I wasn't thinking about that, eh-heh…" Ai fidgeted a little as she stood up straight. She really hadn't been. It was far too important to ensure that this spell didn't activate, after all. Even if she wasn't exactly a fan of the heat and was nervous about just about everything someone could possibly be nervous about, the small brunette was hardly about to abandon such an important cause.

"Um… so where should we start looking first?" she asked, looking up at Tsubaki.

"We need to focus on the locations that make the most sense," the tanned girl began, "That is, along the leylines. They'll most likely be concentrated across them."

"R-right…"

From there onward, the two Masters and their Servants began to scan the town, tracing the local leylines as best as they were able to. Indeed, just as Tsubaki had suspected, there were runes found in the locations that corresponded to them.

And… there were quite a lot of them. Not simply ones that the girls found on their own, but others that Ai's familiars had alerted them to. None of the symbols were completely inaccessible. Some were far out of reach initially, but with the help of their Servants they were able to nullify them as well. Nothing was in a space too small to access them, indicating that at least Caster wasn't capable of creating runes without close proximity.

Even though they had begun their search relatively early in the day, it was already becoming quite late when they finally decided to stop. The sky was dyed red and orange, clouds shades of pink as the sun sunk over the horizon. Shadows stretched longer and longer, and few people remained out on the streets, at least in this area.

"We can't be sure if that's all of them," Tsubaki began, "But even if it's not, we've prevented the spell from activating for at least a day or so, if not more. It all depends on how long it takes for those runes to regain their power."

"Haaah…" Ai let out a sigh of relief, placing her hands on her knees. She was out all day, and it was hot, but it had paid off. They'd managed to delay the spell. If Caster was acting so brazenly, wouldn't it be easy to find them?

"Hmm… if Caster's acting this way, won't it be easy to find them?" asked Saber, voicing her thoughts for her. It seemed like they'd hit upon the same thought.

"It's very likely Caster has a workshop set up," responded Lancer.

"Lancer is right," added Tsubaki, "Even if they're acting so unsubtly as to create some kind of massive bounded field, that doesn't mean that they're careless. If they're fully established their workshop, it's possible that they could have all kinds of defenses in place to hide their location."

"Ah…"

Ai's shoulder's sagged. Finding Caster wasn't going to be easy, was it? And even once they found them, there was still the matter of defeating them. Though… two Servants of the knight classes against a single Caster-class Servant was at least weighted quite heavily in their favor. Most Casters were incredible magi(it was in the name of the class, after all), but at close range there was little they could do against the more melee-oriented classes.

Still, that knowledge didn't do much to assuage the small brunette's concerns. Even if they were weak at melee range, a Servant was still a Servant and they had no way of discerning the target's identity.

"Um… if Caster's using runes… Maybe we can use that to figure out what we might be dealing with?" she asked, finally, adjusting her glasses. She had been somewhat uncertain about this proposal, but in the end she had decided it might be worth thinking about if nothing else.

"Hmmm… you might be onto something, there!" Tsubaki nodded with enthusiasm, "Runes are pretty distinctive in origin. They're mostly associated with Celtic legends and Norse mythology, so if we consider those to be our options… hmmm…"

"Servants might know about other heroic spirits, but I guess not enough to make any guesses without more information, eh-heh," Saber commented, scratching the back of her head as she did with a somewhat embarrassed smile. She seemed to be a bit flustered over her inability to contribute very much.

"Um… do you suppose it could be someone like Cu Chulainn?" asked Ai. She'd done her research prior to entering the war, to get some idea of what she might be up again. It scared her even more, but it also gave her a knowledge base to work off of.

"Cu Chulainn, huh?" mused Tsubaki, thoughtfully. The Irish hero was associated with druidic practices as well…

Lancer shook her head.

"I'm certain that the Hound of Ulster wouldn't act in this way," she asserted, "I only know of him through myth, but he isn't someone who would act in such an underhanded way. He would prefer to fight as boldly as possible."

"But if he was ordered by his Master, using a command seal?" questioned Tsubaki.

"… I suppose such a thing would be possible," Lancer conceded.

"Or, um… maybe they come from Norse mythology…" Ai wondered, trying to recall any strong magi from the Norse legends she read. It was difficult to try and figure out just who they might be up against, at this point.

"Well…" Saber placed her hands on her hips, "As long as we can find them, we'll put a stop to this no matter who they are!"

"It's the duty of heroes to stop things like this, isn't it?" Tsubaki said, with a smile.

"Of course, Master," replied Lancer.

"For now, we-ah?!"

Something came rushing through the air. Something huge. Before Ai could even attempt to turn towards the source of the sound, suddenly she felt herself lifted off of the ground.

In Saber's arms. The Servant had suddenly grabbed her and hurled herself to the side.

As the small brunette sailed through the air, she caught sight of just what had charged them. A pair of enormous bulls, with armored heads and curving horns, decorated with red and gold. Behind them they pulled a chariot, galloping through thin air. When those hooves and wheels collided with the asphalt, they tore through it, leaving great prints and gashes in their wake. The chariot rocked as it turned, coming to a half as the huge bulls swung round. The trail they left in the road was massive, a gash through the street tearing it apart.

Lancer had pulled Tsubaki from the path of the chariot as well, now rising with her.

The figure seated in the chariot rose to her feet. She was a fair-skinned girl, with bright, pink hair and gold eyes, clad in a white cloak with a fur trim. She was incredibly beautiful, almost impossibly so, carrying with her both a cuteness and elegance…

The pink-haired girl smiled brightly, drawing a whip with an oddly-shaped handguard from her cloak. She thrust it into the air with an aura of triumph, as Saber carefully stepped forward, her katana materializing with a flurry of cherry blossom petal motes of light.

"You may as well surrender, because you have absolutely no chance of defeating me!" declared the enemy Servant, cheerily, "For I am Queen Medb of Connacht!"

She'd introduced herself without a second thought?! One of a Servant's greatest assets was the secrecy of their identity. By remaining an unknown, their weaknesses were not possible to exploit. But Medb simply announced her identity the instant she appeared! Did… did that mean she was powerful enough that it didn't matter?!

Was that the kind of foe they were up against?!

Ai trembled, hugging herself and remaining where she sat.

"Stand back, Master!"

Saber's voice cut through her thoughts, and she managed to get to her feet and stumble back.

But she still felt nothing but fear.

* * *

Pink motes of light flowed across her body, as Saber narrowed her silvery eyes. When they faded, she was once again clad in her kimono and scarf, gripping her katana in both hands as she held herself at the ready. Out of the corner of her vision, she noticed bright golden lights shine from Lancer's body as her plate armor reappeared.

This was an entirely different kind of battle.

"Oh?" Medb tilted her head, frowning for a moment, "You're not surrendering? Aaah, I suppose it would have been boring if you did!"

Her cheerful smile returned.

"It's much more fun to crush the both of you, anyway~"

In the scant moments before Medb began to charge, Saber registered her surroundings. This battlefield was relatively narrow. On one hand, that meant that there was less room to maneuver. Dodging was more difficult as the chariot took up a large percentage of the street. On the other hand, it also meant turning was harder for the enemy Servant.

On top of that, it was two against one.

Medb charged.

The speed was incredible. Lancer couldn't even react as the chariot lurched forward, rocketing towards Saber, the bulls' hooves tearing up the concrete with each thunderous step.

The girl samurai shut her eyes and took a single step. Her form suddenly blurred, and with an almost instantaneous movement she suddenly darted to her left. But even with her speed, she felt the chariot rush past her, missing by mere centimeters!

She spun on her heel, but there was no time to counterattack. The bulls had already charged past, Medb turning her chariot at the end of the street.

"Oh? You're so fast!" the pink-haired Servant declared, with a giggle, "But that's not going to save you. Aaaah, Rider really is the perfect class for the great Queen Medb, isn't it~?"

She smiled brightly. Saber narrowed her eyes.

"This way, I can always be on top while everyone else writhes beneath me~ Fufufu~"

This time, Lancer charged, light flowing across her cavalry lance. The blaze of mana carried the blonde knight off the ground, as she rocketed towards the Rider-class Servant!

Medb's chariot lurched again, tilting to angle the huge bulls towards the charge. Lancer gritted her teeth, the mana around her lance fading as she forced herself to stop, just as one of the huge bulls bucked its horns. The Servant was flung back, but she landed on her feet, having taken only a glancing blow deflected by her armor.

Saber darted forward. Lancer, at least, had acted as a distraction! If she could just get in close, and injure one of the bulls, or strike out at Medb herself…!

Even with her agility, the bulls were still able to rear up and bring their hooves down… but that was what the samurai had been waiting for! Instantly, she moved out of range of the hooves as they slammed down into the concrete, before darting in once more and-!

The bulls were charging again. Her attack almost worked, but Medb had urged them forward before she could strike, the great beasts charging across the street again before turning some distance away.

"I already told you just being fast isn't going to save you," the pink-haired Rider commented, cocking her head to one side with a frown. But Saber could tell. She'd gotten so close, and Medb had only just been able to spur her bulls away! If she could injure one of them, or force the cloak-clad girl to dismount…

"The villainous Queen of Connacht, who lusted for Cu Culhainn," Lancer said, narrowing her eyes, "You may have that chariot on your side, but you're fighting two opponents."

Medb waved her free hand in front of her crown with a giggle, and suddenly there was a light like a kaleidoscopic star from the very center of the headpiece. With a shrieking sound, the star-like glow erupted forward into a brilliant beam, tearing through the air and taking Lancer by surprise! Raising her cavalry lance, which once again blazed with mana as she brought it into the path of the blast! Even though she avoided serious damage, the impact sent her hurtling back, landing on her back and rolling once to try and regain her footing!

"Lancer?!" cried Tsubaki, rushing to her Servant's side.

"I am fine, Master!" insisted the knight, "Stand clear, you can't be caught up in this battle!"

But that meant that Rider was distracted!

Saber darted forward, flashing across the street as she advanced on the chariot. Just as she was about to strike, thrusting her katana forward, the pink-haired Rider suddenly turned her head, the brilliant light dragged through the street and carving a scar through it. With little other choice, the platinum blonde samurai raised her katana defensively as the beam struck, a brilliant flash of light erupting from the point of contact with the blade! A glancing blow, unlike the head-on strike Lancer had taken, it was still sufficient to send her hurtling back, though she was not knocked off her feet and instead skidded across the street.

"Ahahahaha~" chuckled Medb, brightly, as the light from her crown faded, "Haah, the both of you are going to fall down and beg for mercy, kissing my feet by the end~ Should I grant it? Hmmmm…"

The Rider-class Servant feigned thoughtfulness.

But Saber could feel it. Medb had the advantage from atop her chariot, even considering she was fighting against two opponents. But even then, she could only react so quickly! Each time she had attempted to land a hit, it was by scant moments that Rider managed to avoid the blow. The girl samurai was certain that she was faster, certain that she could outpace the enemy Servant. That chariot made it more difficult, but even so!

She knew she could do this!

In life Saber had trained herself, her speed, her agility in swordplay, she had honed her skills to a point where she was referred to as a genius. While the silvery-eyed girl felt pride in her skills, she had no idea, honestly, if she truly deserved such praise.

But she would live up to it however she could!

As Medb charged again, she sprinted to the side. The great chariot curved, bulls bellowing as they began to turn mid-charge in an attempt to reach them. If should could observe them a little longer, she could figure out the perfect moment to strike! But it meant evading for as long as she could, rather than attempting to attack once more. As the chariot turned to strike her, she sprang upwards, pushing off the wall to put greater distance between herself and the Rider-class Servant!

"All you can do is run, now?" questioned Medb, as she made a full turn and spurred her bulls onwards, "You're not even trying to attack anymore, so you must know how much you're outma-eh?"

There was a burst of air pressure on the opposite side of the chariot. Medb turned and let out a small yelp of surprise when the tip of Lancer's weapon slammed into the side of the vehicle! The wheels scrapped sideways along the street as the chariot tilted, crashing sideways through the wall to the side of the road. It crumbled, opening a hole into the lot adjacent to the street.

"Ah!"

Rider gripped the reigns, forcing her bulls back on-course. While Lancer's attack had managed to disrupt her, the chariot hadn't taken any damage! It seemed as if it would take a far strong attack to directly harm the chariot itself.

Rather, the bulls or Medb herself were the best target.

"Lancer, it looks like trying to plunge that spear straight through me has done you no good," the Queen of Connacht commented, swiftly regaining her composure. The blonde knight responded with a glare.

"I can see now that directly attacking your chariot is a waste of effort," said Lancer, "The scheming Queen of Connacht is a dangerous foe. But I won't hold back against a villain like you."

"Are you trying to butter me up with honeyed words, or insult me?" questioned the Rider-class Servant, "Because neither of them are working~"

Saber needed more time. The bulls were fast, she had to see them charge at least once more if she was going to be able to counter them!  
She darted towards the chariot.

"You shouldn't forget you have two opponents, Rider!"

As she spoke, Medb immediately turned, rainbow starlight flashing from the center of her crown as the beam erupted through the air. This time, prepared, Saber hurled herself to the side, letting the beam tear through the street instead of being forced to deflect it!

"I have plenty of experience with more than one partner, Saber~" the pink-haired girl replied, cheerfully, "It's not as if this is new to me~"

The light from her crown faded.

"But I suppose the fact that you've regained the courage to attack makes this fight a little more interesting!" Medb added.

"It wasn't cowardice, Queen of Connacht," Saber replied, narrowing her silvery eyes as she readied herself once more. Her gaze traced every detail of the chariot. She needed a little more time. She could outmaneuver the bulls but attacking them was another matter entirely. It was almost as if Medb was foreseeing her strikes whenever she was standing still, but if she could just land a blow while the chariot was in mid-charge… "I've been getting used to the way you fight."

"Oh?" questioned Med, tilting her head as she did, "Is that so? Is that what you call your attempts to escape me~?"

The pink-haired Rider giggled and spurred on the bulls. As fast as lightning, they thundered down the street, tearing right towards Saber once more. The girl samurai ducked low and darted to the left, this time, even as the chariot curved to attempt to catch her once more. There! She had seen the moment where she could strike!

Now she simply had to put her plan into action!

"Lancer!" she called, as the chariot came to a halt at the opposite end of the street. She noticed that the knightly Servant was preparing to target the bulls this time, though she appeared to be holding her cavalry lance somewhat differently, "I'm going to attack her again. This time, I won't miss."

The bulls pawed at the asphalt, carving gashes into the hard surface as they did. Eyes fixed on their movements, Saber raised her katana parallel to her head again. The important thing was to ensure that she moved as soon as the bulls did. They were lightning fast, as expected of Rider's mount, but if she could time her attack well enough she would be able to at least cut one of them, even if it was shallow. That could be enough, she just had to slow or stop the chariot as much as she could…

The chariot charged, tearing through the concrete. Saber didn't move. She had to time this perfectly, she had to make sure that she didn't make even one wrong step…

"Saber, what are you doing?!" cried Lancer, as she herself tried to figure out an angle to attack Medb with.

Saber took a deep breath, and as the thundering hooves drew closer…

In an instant, she moved. Her katana flashed through the air, catching the light of the sunset. The air pressure from the charge sent her flying, impact hitting her like a train, knocking the air out of her body! Pain reverberated through her chest, all through her slim frame, but only for a few moments. She hadn't taken a direct blow. But to an outside observed it looked as though she hadn't delivered one either.

And yet…!

"Saber!" the pale samurai heard Ai's voice as she tumbled through the air, landing on her back and rolling once. Yes, she hadn't landed a direct hit… and yet…!

As she rolled onto her front and slowly raised herself off the ground, she saw one of the bulls' horns hit the ground, severed neatly from the beast.

The chariot slowed to a halt.

Saber straightened. There was some lingering pain through her body, but it was fading. Even an indirect blow from the wind around the chariot was hazardous, but not enough to cause serious injury.

She flicked her katana before raising it parallel to her head again.

"The next blow will come for you, Rider!"

"Ah…"

The samurai heard Medb's voice as the chariot turned. But it sounded… strangely breathy, somehow…

When she saw the Rider-class Servant, Medb's face was flushed, a hand placed to her cheek.

"Aaaahn… that skill, that speed…" the pink-haired girl began, her other hand running across her abdomen, "To cut off the horn of one of the bulls of the Tain Bo Cuailnge… haaahn~"

For a moment, Saber faltered. What… what was Rider doing?

Medb licked her lips.

"You aren't a man… but I want you~" continued the Queen of Connacht, breathing heavily, "I want you under me, sweating and moaning as your strength is sapped from your body, as you become wrapped around my finger, as your mind becomes filled with nothing but lust and ecstacy~

"Wh… wh-what?" Saber's eyes widened, her own cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. Rider… Rider was expressing… lust for her?!

"Yes… I don't know your name…" Medb rose to her feet, and at this point the girl samurai could see those legs trembling slightly, "But I'll make you my plaything, Saber~ My powerful, skilled, beautiful whore~"

"… Rider… you… you would…!" even Lancer wasn't certain how to react.

Medb placed a hand against her chariot.

"Yes… it's time to reveal to you the true nature of my chariot," she added, with a gleeful, infatuated sigh, "You'll no longer be able to resist m-ah…? Master? What…"

There was a moment of silence.

"What?! You… grrr… Master, you're so mean! And boring! That's too cruel! I don't care what time it is!" she snapped, suddenly, one hand curled into a fist and waving back and fourth in the air. "How dare you?!"

Her hands lowered.

"… I'll make you mine next time, Saber~"

With that, both Medb and the chariot slowly dissipated into golden light, before vanishing entirely.

Saber took a deep breath, leaning forward. While she hadn't broken any bones, her side still ached. She wasn't seriously harmed, yes, but it was an expansive enough injury that it wasn't quickly healing.

"S-Saber!"

She heard Ai's voice again and glanced up to the sight of the short brunette running towards her.

"Y-You're hurt, er…" her Master stammered, raising her hands weakly.

"It's fine, Master, I'm fine!" Saber said, rising to her feet and wincing slightly, "I can count this as a big vic-ow ow…"

It was still… pretty painful, if she had to be frank. No serious injury didn't mean it didn't hurt. She felt a warmth at her side, as the small, fidgeting magus placed her hands against her and began to mutter something. A soothing sensation spread through her.

So this was magecraft used for healing, then?

"… Then Rider is Queen Medb," Tsubaki said, approaching the two. Lancer followed quickly after her, "She's definitely a powerful opponent… I could feel the impact of every single one of those bulls' steps. It felt like some kind of earthquake!"

Lancer nodded.

"What a… vulgar queen," the white-armored knight commented, folding her arms.

"She's… she's perverse," was the only comment Saber could manage. It was… strange being targeted by such a thing. Those comments that Medb had made were embarrassing and unusual. She glanced at Ai, who also seemed quite embarrassed. It wasn't something either of them knew how to react to, it seemed. Instead of that, the girl samurai decided to focus on the soothing sensation spreading through her side, and how to counter Rider the next time they clashed.

The silvery-eyed girl could outmaneuver her, and even attack, but it was difficult to target anything of value. And what's more, sometimes it seemed as if the Rider-class Servant was seeing things before they happened. She had to time her attacks perfectly…

"… A-all done, I think…"

Saber paused for a moment and stretched.

"… Ah, all better!" Saber said, brightly, with a smile. She wasn't going to let Medb's strength get to her. She knew she could defeat the Rider-class Servant for sure.

"We'll meet up outside of school after classes tomorrow, Matsushita," Tsubaki said, as she began to turn away, glancing back over her shoulder.

"A-ah? You're leaving already…?" questioned Ai, looking nervously about.

"There's some things I need to check out, and… honestly, I think it's for the best if you and Saber get back home," the black-haired girl continued, with an apologetic smile.

"… I can keep going!" Saber declared, emphatically. She was a Servant, after all! And her Master had healed the injury, anyway!

"… I-I agree…"

"Eh? Master?"

"U-um… I think we might need to plan out approach out more, Saber," said Ai, "A-and… I… I don't know if I can be out here anymore right now…"

Ah… once again, her Master hadn't taken a battle between Servants very well.

"… If that's what you want, Master," she said, finally. She couldn't deny simply planning things out in more detail was a bad idea, anyway.

"I-I'll use my familiars to keep a look over the town, too…" Ai added, before taking a deep breath. "So we'll go home for now, Saber."

The samurai nodded.

Personally, she had to admit that she would have liked to look over the town in person. But her Master didn't seem like she would be able to handle much more, and that was the most important thing. Her Master's wellbeing stood above everything else.

After all, her Master was the only reason that Saber had a chance to obtain her wish.

And so, the two pairs of girls parted ways.

Saber had to look forward.

She had to be ready for anything.

* * *

Rider was strong. But not unbeatable.

This was something Inoue Tsubaki was certain of. Lancer's Noble Phantasm would likely be able to damage her chariot. Its base function could perhaps even disable the bulls, but so early, with another witness… even though she had allied with Saber and Matsushita Ai, it seemed like a bad idea to reveal her Noble Phantasm unless absolutely necessary.

Oh, certainly, she would if she had to in order to prevent Saber or Ai from being killed, but if she could avoid it for now, she wasn't going to have Lancer use it unless she had no other choice.

"You mentioned we were going to search another area?" Lancer asked her, having returned to her casual wear.

"That's right," replied the black-haired girl, looking back over her shoulder at the Servant, "I suspect something's going on there."

She gestured ahead. The parking complex for the Upper Minami City Apartments. It looked like an ordinary complex, but that was far from the truth.

There were three locations in which the Holy Grail could descend.

One of which was this parking complex. Every day, she passed it by on her way home. If Caster was placing runes all across town…

"I have a feeling Caster might be trying to do something there," she said, "The majority of the runes were closest to the school and to the parking complex."

"I see, Master," replied Lancer, "However, if Caster is present there, what shall we do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Tsubaki, smiling as she looked over her shoulder, "We'll defeat them, Lancer."

After a moment's pause, Lancer returned the smile.

"I expected nothing less."

As they approached the parking complex, the tanned girl was struck with a somewhat ominous feeling. It was difficult to put her finger on exactly what it was, however. It was a feeling that there was something distinctly wrong, unpleasant about the building.

But it was nothing more than a parking garage.

Tsubaki passed by it nearly every day on the way home.

Whatever was the case, there was no denying something was occurring within.

"… I don't like this, Master," began Lancer, "I cannot be certain, but there's some kind of presence within."

"I know, but there's no way I can ignore that," replied Tsubaki as she looked up at the parking complex, "I can't stand the thought of innocent people being caught up in this just because Caster doesn't care about being subtle, can you?"

"Of course not," said the blonde knight girl, "But I must also keep your safety in mind. I am confident that I can protect you, regardless. I simply wish for you to exercise caution and avoid danger as much as possible. I should hope you wouldn't find this unreasonable."

"Exercise caution, Lancer?" asked Tsubaki, with a grin, gently reaching out to poke at the other girl's side, "I'm always cautious, Lancer! Really now, do you think your Master is the type to run into danger without thinking things through?"

"Ah…" the Servant paused for a moment, fidgeting slightly at the physical contact. That was the entire reason that Tsubaki had reacted the way she did, if she was being honest with herself. Lancer never seemed to know what to do when she was poked and prodded like this, and the fact that a legendary knight was so easily flustered never ceased to amuse the girl. "I… did not… mean any offense, er… It's just that, ah, in order to ensure your safety…"

"Don't worry about it, I understand," Tsubaki interjected with a cheerful smile, waving her hand as she did. Lancer mumbled slightly and fell silent after a moment. The tanned girl's attention returned to the towering parking complex.

"Hm… Lancer, this presence… is it a Servant? Or rather, do you detect the presence of an enemy Servant?" she questioned, glancing towards the blonde knight once more.

After a moment of consideration, Lancer shook her head.

"No," she started, "Whatever is here, it's not as powerful as a Servant. It's some sort of dark spiritual presence, but beyond that I can discern nothing."

"Right!"

Tsubaki clapped her hands together. She knew Lancer wasn't going to like what she had in mind, but she felt like it was the best option for the moment. Part of her wondered if she shouldn't have recommended that Ai and Saber go home for now. Then it would have been a bit less risky. But she felt confident in herself, and in Lancer's capabilities.

And in the end, that was what she was going to have to rely on.

"I want you to stay here and keep watch while I go inside," the black-haired girl explained, turning fully to face the knight. Immediately, Lancer's eyes widened.

"You… Master, weren't you just assuring me that you were cautious?!" cried the girl, throwing her hands into the air, "You said that you weren't the type to senselessly run into danger!"

"I know, and I'm not," said Tsubaki, "But you said it's not a Servant, right? I'm a magus of the Inoue family. Whatever's in there, I can handle it."

She grinned.

"I want you to stay out here so we can't be attacked from outside," the tanned girl continued. It wasn't a perfect plan, but she wanted to ensure they couldn't be ambushed from outside by that cowboy Servant, or even Caster. They'd likely be dissuaded if they saw Lancer waiting outside. "If I get into any trouble I can't handle…"

She raised her hand, flashing her command seals. The curving pattern on the back of her right hand almost seemed to gleam.

"I have these for a reason, don't I?"

Command seals could transcend modern magecraft. It wasn't simply that they could enforce an order on a Servant, they could perform even instant teleportation across large amounts of space.

"… I still don't like this, Master," asserted Lancer, "But… if you're absolutely certain…"

"I wouldn't say something like this if I wasn't."

The blonde knight's shoulders sagged, slightly.

"… Very well," she said, with a sigh, "… Please do not do anything too dangerous, Master. Summon me the instant it appears that there may be anything beyond your ability."

"Unless an enemy Servant shows up," replied Tsubaki, "There won't be!"

With that, she proceeded into the parking complex. Within, it was still fairly brightly-lit, even though by this point the sky had darkened considerably. After all, some people stayed out quite late and wouldn't be getting home until much later than this. That was something to be aware of, as well. It was possible a witness would find their way in here. The average person wouldn't find Lancer very suspicious in her casual wear, but still. She had to keep herself aware of her surroundings.

There was nothing of note on the first floor of the parking complex. Rows of cars, and nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. And yet, Tsubaki could feel that presence. It felt stronger with every step. Was it on the next level, or higher up? Even though there were presumably people nearby, this place felt almost isolated. It felt lonely. It was strange, being alone in such a place.

She couldn't tell from here. The stairway further up the complex was across the first level. At the moment, all the girl could do was simply go up one level higher. She'd proceed upwards until she discovered just what was here. From there, should could most likely handle it alone. It wasn't a Servant, so Lancer couldn't be needed.

Tsubaki knew the Servant didn't like the fact that she was being left behind, of course. But in the end, it simply felt like the best option, at least given that she wasn't going up against an enemy Servant. It was more important to ensure that they weren't attacked from outside in that event.

The black-haired girl began to ascend the stairway. Something she almost immediately noticed as she walked is that the lights on the next level were significantly less bright then those below. From outside, however, they had appeared to be all the same brightness…

Cautiously, Tsubaki edged further up the stairs. There was no way that was a coincidence, given the presence both her Servant and herself had felt simply approaching the building. As she approached the final steps, she pressed herself to the wall before peering out into the second level.

The things that stood on the opposite side of the second level had the shape of humans, but they were not humans.

At least, not anymore.

There were five of them, their bodies grey and decrepit. Clad in shabby clothing, bone poking through disintegrating flesh as they shambled about the parking garage.

The Dead. Familiars created from the corpses of humans. There were a number of ways in which such creatures could be fashioned. Dead Apostles could drain the blood from humans, and in most cases, it would lead to the creation of the Dead. However, these Dead did not seem to be the product of the appetites of a vampire. The likelihood of there being a vampire feeding prolifically in Minami at this point was very low, and the fact that these bodies were so decrepit… had they been reanimated from the grave?

That was both somewhat reassuring(at least they had already been dead when they were converted into familiars) and concerning. Either one of the Masters was graverobbing… or it was the more likely option.

These Dead were created by Caster. Well, there was no ruling out it wasn't a capability of one of the other Servants, but it was unlikely to be the gunslinger, Saber was certainly not responsible, and Queen Medb possessed no such abilities in myth. As a result, the natural assumption was Caster.

Regardless of who had created them, however, Tsubaki was certain of one thing.

They couldn't be allowed to remain here. Not only were they invariably created by one of her enemies, but they also posed a threat to both those uninvolved in the Holy Grail War and to the secrecy of magecraft.

Tsubaki's body tensed as she carefully took a step onto the second level. What she had to do now was eliminate the Dead as fast as she could. To strike them down in a flash before they could even retaliate, even use whatever rudimentary senses they had to register what was occurring.

Her hands curled into fists. Her magic circuits flared to life, as she spread prana to her limbs, reinforcing her body. Her physical capabilities, her speed, her strength, even her ability to resist harm, everything was enhanced, lines of faint light appearing on her arms and legs.

Tsubaki sprinted across the parking complex, covering the space between herself and the Dead in mere moments! As she approached the first of their number, she drew back one fist, prana blazing through her arm as she thrust it forward…!

She didn't even need to make contact with the walking corpse's head. Air Impact, a spell she had practiced since she began her training as a magus, took care of the rest. The decrepit skull crumbled and disintegrated on impact with the sudden eruption of air pressure, casting dust and bone fragments into the air as the undead's head practically exploded.

The rest of the body keeled over backwards.

One!

The dead began to move, one raising its arms to swing them down and attack. While these creatures could be dangerous, Tsubaki hadn't trained in hand to hand combat for nothing! She stepped back and out of the range of the corpse's sweep, thrusting her palm forward. Another burst of air exploded from her hand, striking the second undead in the center of its body. Its entire chest cavity exploded backwards as it was lifted fully off the ground, flying roughly a meter before coming down again.

Two!

This time, the third and fourth lunged towards her, each letting out a wheezing sound that nothing alive could ever make. Given the space between them, she raised one foot and kicked, shoving one of the creatures back to give herself more distance. She heard brittle bones cracking, feeling old flesh break apart under her foot, but the undead was still on its feet. These Dead were so decrepit… why had they been chosen?

There wasn't any more time to think of that, though.

The third undead came in half entirely from the next air burst, with Tsubaki slamming her foot down to crush its head!

Three!

Only two more remained!

"Haaah!"

Tsubaki squared herself up to strike as one of the undead bore down on her and-

It was only by instinct she saw something coming from her right. Only by pure instinct she could even react, and it was simply to continue the motion she had been already doing, grasping the undead instead and switching places with it, hurling the corpse into the oncoming blow!

It was cut in half from the shoulder downward, both pieces hitting the floor.

Her assailant was now visible. A girl, black hair in a ponytail, face concealed by a white fox mask. She was clad in a light green, short kimono, gripping a straight-bladed katana backhanded in her right hand.

There was no doubt. This was an enemy Servant.

"Lancer!" Tsubaki cried, hopping backwards as quickly as she could to put distance between herself and the Servant!

Her command seal flashed, one of the symbols fading…

And a brilliant light erupted in front of her. When the flash faded, allowing her to see again, there stood Lancer, in full armor, cape fluttering in the breeze as she gripped her cavalry lance in her hand.

With a flick, she obliterated the remaining dead in an instant, as the masked Servant backed away, sheathing her first sword to draw another, this one a more traditionally curved katana.

"Stand back, Master," said Lancer, as she brought her weapon to bear, "I won't let her take another step closer!"

Quietly, the masked Servant put more distance between herself and Lancer. What could be discerned about her was her origins: She was clearly a Japanese Heroic Spirit. That made it unlikely she was Caster, who used runes. Berserker wasn't impossible, but it was unlikely, given the caution the Servant was displaying.

That left Assassin.

"For attempting to attack my Master, you won't be forgiven!" declared Lancer, blue eyes following Assassin's movements. Tsubaki found herself feeling as lucky as she could, given the situation. Assassin wasn't a Servant with capabilities to do battle directly, at least in most cases. In a clash between Lancer and Assassin, Tsubaki felt confident her Servant would win.

Judging by the way that the mask-wearing Servant had reacted to Lancer's appearance, she was aware of this fact. Immediately after the knight had entered the scene, Assassin had backed off and maintained distance. Lancer followed every motion Assassin made, the tip of her weapon pointed squarely at the sword-wielding attacker as she slowly strafed to the left.

And then, without any explanation, she disappeared. Tsubaki hadn't blinked, and there was no golden light fading away that indicated a Servant had entered spirit form. One moment Assassin was there, the next moment she was gone.

Where had she disappeared to? Tsubaki couldn't understand what had happened. Presence Concealment didn't allow for a Servant to instantly vanish right before an enemy's eyes. That simply wasn't how it worked. So, how…?

"Master!"

Suddenly she felt an armored hand on her shoulder, shoving her to the left, as Lancer swiftly stepped around her. In a flash, she had raised her cavalry lance, and to Tsubaki's shock the knight was deflecting a sudden strike from Assassin! But how? Could Assassin teleport? No, there had been a delay between the disappearance of the enemy Servant and her reappearance on their right side.

But what could have happened? How had Assassin managed to simply disappear and reappear in a prime location to mount an ambush?  
Lancer gritted her teeth, and with another push she had forced Assassin back. But the mask-wearing Servant had vanished before even hitting the ground.

Lancer had pushed her enemy back with little effort, but somehow the enemy Servant had simply vanished once more. Tsubaki cast her eyes about the parking garage, trying to see if there was some location in which the fox mask Assassin could hide. But there was nothing. No-where she could vanish to in an instant.

She felt Lancer's hand against her, suddenly, gently but firmly pushing her back.

"I see her, nor sense her presence," said the blonde knight, "Somehow, she's become completely undetectable…"

All the black-haired girl could do was nod. Just how was Assassin performing this disappearing act?!

Suddenly, she was forced back again, and this time Assassin launched herself in from above! Again, Lancer caught her with the side of her cavalry lance, but the moment she was forced back she disappeared again.

"What is she doing? This isn't Presence Concealment…" Tsubaki looked around again, trying to see if there was any sign of the enemy Servant, any at all. But there was nothing. Nothing but shadows. If the enemy was just capable of disappearing, she could attack from anywhere. And yet she seemed to only be attacking from specific angles… was there some kind of trick to it?

Suddenly, to their left, Assassin reappeared, her katana flashing as she struck! This time, she had gotten in too close for Lancer's cavalry lance, even as the knight moved to defend!

But Lancer wasn't out of options. Locking Assassin's right arm in her left, the caped knight raised her right leg and kicked, striking the enemy Servant square in the chest!

Silently, Assassin was flung back.

As she landed, however, she vanished again.

"Even when she's been attacked?!" Lancer exclaimed, glaring around the parking garage once more. After a moment, her armored hand was placed against Tsubaki once more, and the girl stumbled a bit as she was pushed back.

She hit the wall. Looking back over her shoulder, she could see out into the city. They'd run out of room, but at least it made it unlikely they could be attacked from behind.

"Lancer, I noticed she only seems to attack from specific places," Tsubaki said, her gaze returning to the complex, "But I can't figure out what the pattern is."

"I did as well," Lancer replied, "Whatever skill she possesses, it isn't simply the power to disappear. There's something about this place that's giving her an advantage!"

Even as she spoke, Assassin reappeared from above! The fox mask Servant descended from the darkness, but was caught on Lancer's cavalry lance once more! This time, however, Assassin didn't wait to be pushed back, suddenly dropping and landing in Lancer's shadow…

Where she vanished.

"Ah?"

Only to reappear almost immediately, rising from seemingly no-where, balancing on the safety wall Tsubaki was pressed against!

"H-how?!"

Lancer spun on her heel, as Assassin's straight-bladed katana flashed downwards, aimed for the tanned girl's throat…!

The side of the cavalry lance slammed into Assassin's side. It wasn't an elegant attack, like Lancer's usual method of doing battle. But it worked. Assassin was sent hurtling back, slamming into one of the support pillars lining the safety wall. The impact of her body cracked the concrete, and she fell limply to the ground, in the shadow of the pillar itself…

But before Lancer could move to finish her off, she had vanished again.

"… I-I don't understand, even n-"

Before Tsubaki could finish speaking, she suddenly found herself lifted off the ground. Lancer's weapon had disappeared, and the knight had suddenly picked her up in both hands, cradling her against herself.

"L-Lancer…?"

"Whatever her ability is, it's powerful here!" Lancer took a step onto the guardrail. Tsubaki needed only a moment to understand what she was planning…

As the Servant threw herself out into the open air.

Tsubaki trusted her. Putting her arms around Lancer's shoulders, she held herself close to the blonde knight as they began to descend, the wind rushing past them.

The impact of their landing reverberated through her body, and beneath Lancer's feat the concrete split and fractured.  
But they'd landed safely.

Without putting her down, Lancer swiftly glanced back over her shoulder towards the parking complex.

There was a brief glimpse of a fading, golden light. It didn't seem as if Assassin was pursuing.

Was it more difficult for her to fight here, or had she been attempting to defend the undead? No, it didn't seem as if she particularly cared for them. Assassin's sole target had been Tsubaki herself.

"… Do… do you think she's allied with Caster?" the black-haired girl asked, as Lancer lowered her to the ground, "She attacked as I was finishing off those undead familiars…"

Lancer shook her head.

"She made no special effort to coordinate with them," she replied, "It's not impossible… but I suspect that she simply made an attack of opportunity."

Tsubaki was now aware of just how fast her heart was beating. It was the first time in one of these battles that she'd been specifically targeted, rather than the Servants aiming to defeat one another.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Before, she'd known there was danger, but aside from Rider's initial charge her death hadn't been the goal. It was different when her life was being directly threatened.

But Tsubaki wouldn't allow such a thing to shake her. She was a magus of the Inoue family, she'd never allow herself to be cowed by a threat like this.

"Then it's unlikely that we're facing an alliance," she said, simply, taking a deep breath. "Lancer, we're going to regroup at my home. Tomorrow, we'll warn Matsushita-san about Assassin, but for now I'd like to try and understand the trick behind her ability to hide."

"Yes, Master," responded Lancer, with a nod, "To begin with… whatever power it was that she displayed, it seemed like it gave her a special advantage in a location like that."

"That's what I was thinking," Tsubaki replied, with one last wary look towards the parking complex as the both of them began to leave. She'd take a less-obvious route home, in case Assassin was tailing them in spirit form. "It's not simply that she could teleport. If that was the case… she'd simply have appeared behind us immediately and killed me."

The thought of being killed by Assassin made the specter of fear rise again, but the black-haired magus pushed it back down.

"I would not have allowed such a thing," Lancer asserted, "But… her movements were strange. She would only attack from certain angles… as if there was something there she needed in order to hide."

Tsubaki thought over what she had seen carefully. Now that they weren't in the middle of battle, she could consider it more clearly. Assassin had only vanished whenever she was touching the ground. But it seemed unlikely that was the reason she had been capable of disappearing. No, there had to be something more to it…

The girl wracked her mind for other clues. Assassin had only reappeared behind her when they were close, after she had landed beneath Lancer…

There had to be some kind of trick, but Tsubaki couldn't be sure of it yet.

"… We'll think about this more once we've reached my home," she said, finally, with a sigh, "We'll be taking a longer route this time."  
Lancer nodded.

Once they had reached the Inoue estate, Tsubaki felt confident that the various wards would keep Assassin from making her entrance, or at least from doing so stealthily. Ideally, if they were being tailed, the route home she had planned would throw the enemy Servant off as well.

The next time they fought, Tsubaki wouldn't allow herself to be caught off guard.

She'd be prepared.


	4. Chapter 4

The girl's hands were so slender and delicate. She was nothing more than a child. And yet she held the wooden sword so firmly. She gripped it, as if her very life depended on it. The small, pale fingers adjusted as she stepped forward. Her teacher's wooden blade was held at the ready. She took a deep breath as both master and student prepared themselves.

Shocking even the one who instructed her, she did not fall. No, she stayed on her feet. It was as if she innately understood what she was meant to do.

After the training session, she was praised as a genius. She was called a prodigy whose future was filled with promise.

As she grew, she trained. Those hands, still so delicate even as she grew older, became more and more practiced. At a young age, she had mastered all the techniques of her school and obtained a scroll certifying her success.

She was happy. She was loved.

She wanted to become one who could teach others. But after spending some time as such, more than anything else she felt a desire to fight alongside others. To become someone who could do good.

She became part of a police force created to enforce peace and justice. Not simply for such purposes, but due to a sense of loyalty to its founder. And yet, was that really what they were in the end? Certainly, they defeated elements that could cause chaos, however…

But, the girl remembered this time of her life with fondness. Even in battle, where nothing mattered except the defeat of the enemy, the fact that she could fight alongside those she called her comrades was what she desired more than anything else. She wanted to fight with them forever.

The girl's simple desires were fulfilled, even as the unrest in society grew more and more. Time and time again she had to draw her blade, to spill blood over and over, and yet her soul remained untainted. Even as others among their number began to falter under the weight of it all, to descend further into even darker places than they had started in.

Even then, the girl held her head up high. Even then, she could smile and laugh. Even then, her sword skills remained pure. Even as those around her tortured and maimed people in the name of what they called their duty. Even then, she didn't falter.

It wasn't as if she wasn't aware. But these people were her comrades for so long, she could not bear to speak against them.

All she wanted was to keep fighting alongside those she cherished, and who had cherished her. Even though sometimes her chest felt so tight that it might burst, she wanted to smile and laugh with everyone like she always had, and then take up her sword and fight until the end.

With everyone she cherished.

It was her one desire.

And yet…

Soon, she felt a different kind of pain in her chest. Every time she took a breath, there was pain.

One day, even as she did her best to endure the weakness that had begun to assault her body, she found herself barely able to stand. When she coughed, there was a stab of agony.

When she lowered her delicate, pale hand away from her mouth, she could see flecks of blood in her palm.

* * *

Slowly, Ai stirred, blinking the sleep from her eyes. That dream… it wasn't simply an ordinary creation of her mind. It wasn't images conjured by her thoughts are rest. It had all felt so real, as if she were actually experiencing it.

It wasn't a mere dream.

Sitting up, the brunette rubbed her eyes with a yawn as her mind slowly cleared itself.

Had that…

Had that been images from her Servant's life? Okita Souji, the first captain of the Shinsengumi… had she been granted a window into the life of her servant, into the memories of Saber's experiences in life…

The sight of that bloodied palm.

Okita Souji had died of tuberculosis. Her life had ended in a bed, the strength seeping from her with each cough.

It was still early in the morning, earlier then Ai usually awakened. That dream… or rather, that vision of her Servant's past had stirred her to wakefulness far earlier than usual. Slowly, she remembered she had class today, and rubbed her eyes once more. It was too late to go back to sleep… besides, how could she, really, after that vision?

Did Saber know what she had seen? What would she say to her, if she had? Ai felt almost like she had intruded, stepped in on something  
private…

It was only a few moments later, when Ai was leaving her bed, that her door opened. In walked Saber, the girl samurai's eyes somewhat downcast as she looked away from her Master.

"… Eh… I…" began Saber, awkwardly. That answered Ai's question, at least. It was clear her Servant was aware of the fact that she'd seen her past. Or at least, portions of it. "… I don't blame you. It's not something you could control, it's something born from the contract between us as Master and Servant."

Ai nodded, slowly.

"It's not something either of us could have done anything about…" she said, "I-I… i-its not like I meant to intrude…"

To her surprise, Saber's bright smile returned.

"Don't worry about it, Master!" she declared, though her cheerful tone of voice sounded somewhat more forced then Ai had become used to. "Whatever you say… like I mentioned before, it's part of our contract…"

She trailed off, before shaking her head.

"I guess more than anything I wanted to make sure were alright, Master!" This time, Saber's upbeat attitude seemed to be back to normal, at least.

"I-I'm fine, um…" Ai fidgeted. She still had to wake up a bit more and given what she had just experienced… it wasn't the easiest thing to simply talk to her Servant. "But… you… what I saw…"

Saber paused for only a moment.

"… You saw the people I cherished in life," she said, finally, her smile fading but never disappearing, "And the things I did in life. And you saw how I failed to fight to the end. That's right, isn't it, Master?"

Ai hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

Saber's smile grew again.

"I'm here to fight for you though, Master," she continued, "I'm your sword, the blade that exists for your defense. No matter what I desire, that's the first thing on my mind!"

What her Servant desired… Ai didn't want to pry into Saber's wish for the Holy Grail. That was something that she held in her heart, for no-one else but herself. And yet, she also didn't want to treat Saber as a tool. There was a reason she'd tried to get the other girl's opinions on where to go, to check out that bakery(unfortunately they had never gotten to it) for example. It was because the girl samurai had decided to heed her summons.

Because Saber had chosen to obey the call, no matter how much the grail war frightened Ai, she wanted to pay her back for this. The brunette wanted to give her something in return, even if it was just listening to where she wanted to go.

"Um, about that, Saber…" Ai began, before taking a deep breath, "I have class today, but after that, um… I know we have to discuss more about our strategy, and tonight we'll probably end up fighting again, but…"

Saber was watching her expectantly. She did her best to relax and continue speaking.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

After a moment's pause, the samurai replied.

"Well… I guess I've been wanting to try ice cream!" she said, cheerfully, "I want to know what something sweet and cold like that can taste like. But…"

She sat down on Ai's bed, after a moment of hesitation.

"You keep asking me things like this, and I guess it takes me a little bit off-guard, eh-heheh…" she continued, "When I was summoned, I thought I'd be doing something like fighting all the time and fulfilling my duties as a Servant in that way. But you keep wanting to take me out to eat!"

"Ah… s-sorry…" was that really how Saber felt? Was it a waste of her time to be doing things like this? But when she looked up at her Servant, she was waving her hands.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Saber cried, "I don't dislike it. It makes me happy to try new sweets and do all kinds of new things like that. It's not that I dislike doing these things, because I don't. I guess I just wasn't expecting something like this."

"… Knowing It makes you happy is all I need…" Ai replied, smiling weakly. Admittedly, her mind was now drifting a bit… the mental image of feeding Saber pieces of cake while she opened her mouth for them floated through her thoughts. "It's cute to see you eating something you like…"

"Ah… you're saying things like that again," Saber commented, scratching the back of her head with an awkward smile, "But if we can keep doing these things and win the Grail War too… I don't have any problems at all. Um… Like I said, I really wanted to try ice cream!"

"Then… then that's where we're going to go after classes today!" Ai declared, "I'm going to buy you whatever flavors you want!"

The ulterior motive that could best be described as 'cute girls eating things they like are a treasure' was certainly a factor, but more than anything else she simply wanted to do things that Saber desired. Of course, claiming victory in the Holy Grail War would grant whatever wish it was her Servant desired, but Ai still had little confidence in her ability to win… and she wanted to do everything she could in return for Saber answering her summons.

"… I'll have to see the flavors first before I decide…" Saber responded. "… But… why do you keep doing this?"

"Eh? I…" for a few moments, Ai trailed off. But… no, it was time to tell her Servant. "… I know that you're here to obtain your wish from the Holy Grail. That's obvious. But you still answered my summons, even though I'm not a good Master, even though I don't know if I can win the Grail. That's why. You came to me, so… I want to do things that can make you happy for as long as you're here. It's only right, given that you answered the call when it came from someone like me…"

"… Master, don't worry about that," Saber responded, "You're my Master, and I'm your Servant. That's the kind of relationship we have. You were able to heal me last night, weren't you? You're not a bad Master at all. So-"

It was at that moment that Marianne abruptly burst into the room.

"Good morning, ojou-sama~" said the maid, brightly, "Today, Marianne is your wake-up call! So-oh!"

Both Ai and Saber had stopped talking, instead turning to stare at the sudden appearance of the white-haired maid.

"Did Saber-chan steal my job?!" cried the maid, in mock horror, "And to think, I almost never get to wake up ojou-sama…"

"Ah? No, she was already awake…" Saber tried to respond.

"Don't tell me!" continued Marianne, dramatically, "You kissed the sleeping princess to awaken her, didn't you?!"

"Eeeeeehhh?!"

"Hawawawa…"

Both Master and Servant blushed in embarrassment.

Marianne grinned at them, stifling a giggle with one of her oversized sleeves.

"Fufufu. That was all I needed~" said the maid, cheerfully, "Breakfast will be ready soon, ojou-sama, Saber-chan. Then ojou-sama will need to prepare for her classes~"

After that, Saber decided to take a shower after her Master had done so, first. Ai's morning routine went mostly as usual, nothing else particularly unexpected occurred. And yet, still her mind dwelled on what they had discussed earlier… and the vision of her Servant's past. She had to do what she could, didn't she? She had to do everything she could, both to repay her Servant for bothering to show up and to try and win the Holy Grail. But… Rider, especially, was terrifying, and there were still several Servants who were mostly unknown.

Could she support Saber well enough to defeat them?

Today, as they'd discussed last night, Saber would not be accompanying her to school. While her Servant initially didn't like the idea, and Ai herself had been rather frightened about the prospect, it was highly unlikely she'd be attacked on school grounds. And if another Servant was present, following their Master in spirit form, it was likely they'd be able to detect Saber, wouldn't they?

It wasn't as if the idea didn't scare her, but she'd managed to consider it from a wider perspective. Her command seals could instantly call Saber if something happened, as well…

After finishing her shower, Ai quickly dressed herself in her school uniform and made her way downstairs. Marianne had already finished making breakfast, with Charlotte tidying up the kitchen after she was done.

Enjoying breakfast(and getting to see the cute faces Saber made as she did the same) helped somewhat to take the girl's mind off of things. But as she left the mansion, Ai's fears started to prey upon her once again.

Was it really a good idea to leave Saber behind?

She tried to reassure herself that this was the case. After all, if Inoue Tsubaki was a Master, another student at their school could easily be one as well. And if that was the case, they could detect Saber's presence with their own Servant even if she was in spirit form, and therefore they could potentially pinpoint that she was a Master. But on the other hand… it meant she would have to call Saber by using a command seal. While she had no intention of using them otherwise, losing all three seals was the same as forfeiting one's position as a Master in the Holy Grail War. Ai felt confident that Saber didn't have any reasons to turn on her, but…

What would actually happen if she did lose all three? While she didn't want to force Saber to do anything, the small brunette was still worried. What if she had to use them to make her teleport, or something like that…

She tried to shake her head and stop worrying about it. No. That wasn't going to happen. The fact was that it was too bright outside right now to risk fighting in the open, and certainly, doing battle in the middle of the school day at the local high school seemed like a terrible plan for anyone. That being said… there was something else Ai was considering.

The possibility of another Master being at school was hard to ignore. Maybe Tsubaki would have some more information. After all, she'd gone to look for… something after they'd parted the other day. Ai couldn't ignore the way the runes were arrayed. Not only on the leylines, but also in close proximity to the school. Like it was being used as a central hub of sorts. This didn't mean that Caster's Master was a student for sure, but at the same time it was an implication based on the way the runes had been placed.

If nothing else… Ai felt like maybe she should try and keep an eye out for anything strange. Not that she believed she was any good at spotting anything like that, but… at least she could try, right?

In any case, she had soon arrived at the school… and stopped dead in her tracks.

She could see Tsubaki ahead of her, but that wasn't all. Natsuki Yukihiro was there, too. A few other girls were watching as the two had a heated conversation. Tsubaki looked furious. What was going on? She couldn't quite hear… but at the same time, she didn't want to try and get closer. She didn't want Yukihiro to see her again…

After a few moments of hesitation, she managed to swallow her fear and edge closer. But as she did, the two parted, the angry-looking Tsubaki practically storming into the school.

"I've never seen Inoue-san look so angry…" she heard one girl say.

"Natsuki-kun doesn't look like he even knows why, too…" Ai heard another, "Maybe she has a crush on him or something…?"

Then she heard Natsuki Yukihiro's voice.

"… And all I did was wonder if Saori-san is alright," he said, with a sigh and a shrug, before heading inside himself.

After a few moments of silence, Ai followed as well. What was going on? There was no way she could piece it together just by hearing the very ending…

Soon enough, everyone had headed inside. After a moment, Ai took a deep breath and proceeded along into the school. It was the first time since the Grail War had begun that she had gone to school, and she was… surprisingly, less nervous then the first time. Maybe the fact that she had experienced a battle between Servants had made school feel more mundane. Oh, she was still nervous, and didn't really know what to do, but it wasn't as frightening as her first day was.

When the small brunette arrived at her class, she sat down quickly and glanced over the class. Indeed, there was Inoue Tsubaki, still looking quite irritable over the conversation she'd been having with Natsuki Yukihiro…

He was a creepy guy, and scary, but that didn't seem like it would be enough for Tsubaki to get as angry as she was. He'd been talking about Yumimura Saori? What had he said…? Or had Tsubaki found something else out about Yumimura's disappearance?

She resolved to ask Tsubaki about it. Or… at least try to, she wasn't too certain about what to say. Just going up and asking 'what made you so angry?' seemed too direct, she didn't want to cause any problems… and what if it was something obvious? Like… how creepy Natsuki Yukihiro was…

The first half of classes for the day went fairly normally. Nothing particularly unusual occurred, and really the only thing that Ai could do was sit there and listen to her own thoughts. Was Caster's Master one of the students here? Could they be in this classroom?

Soon enough, lunch had arrived. Today's meal for Ai featured a few different fried items and fruit, which was fine by her. After all, Marianne's cooking was invariably delicious. Just as on the first day, Tsubaki approached, pushing their desks together as she did.

"… Matsushita-san, I'm going to have to talk to you after school," she said, "I don't think it would be a good idea to talk about it here, though…"

"E-eh? Um… what do you mean…?" Ai asked, shifting a bit in her seat. Tsubaki seemed serious… it had to be something about the Grail War.

"… I don't think you need to ask, Matsushita-san," replied the tanned girl. Ai nodded slowly. It didn't really require much thought to figure it out… Tsubaki must have thought there was another Master here too.

Picking up her lunchbox, Ai followed Tsubaki up to the roof. Once they got there, one of the first things that the small brunette noticed was… well, it was hot. It was summer, and they were on the rooftop. Of course it was going to be hot. Thankfully, Tsubaki guided her over to a patch of shade before sitting down. The second thing that Ai noticed was the view. While the Takahashi High School wasn't an especially tall building, it was tall enough to get something of a view of Minami.

It was… oddly beautiful, looking out over the entire city like this. Well… entire was an exaggeration, but she could see rooftops for quite some distance. It wasn't a particularly large city, but it was large enough… She could even see the green of the distant forest across town.

"Haaah, it's hot, isn't it?" commented Tsubaki, sitting down and fanning herself with the front of her uniform. She reached into her bag, then handed a water bottle to Ai, who took it somewhat awkwardly. It was ice cold. Tsubaki took one out herself. "But here we can get some privacy, right?"

"Um… right… thank you for the water…" Ai replied, slowly. If not for this patch of shade, and the water bottle, she likely would have started feeling like she was on the brink of passing out.

"Wow, your lunch looks amazing again…" commented the black-haired girl, looking it over, "Maybe I should get a maid to make my food, too…"

"Um… so, um…" Ai mumbled for a few moments before finding her voice, "So what did you want to talk about? I know we're not up here for you to compliment my lunch, eh-heheh…"

"I guess I just wanted to have a more relaxing conversation first," replied Tsubaki, scratching the back of her head with a chuckle. But then, the girl took a deep breath.

"First things first: One of the enemy Servants, most likely Caster, can create the Dead."

The Dead…? The familiars most commonly used by Dead Apostles, born from the bodies of those who they drained dry, yet were unable to become vampires themselves? She knew that it was also possible to create the Dead using Magecraft, as well, but still…

"Are you sure it's one of the Servants…?"

Tsubaki shook her head.

"I can't be completely sure, that's true," the other girl responded, "But as of now it seems like the most likely option. I was investigating the Upper Minami Apartments parking complex when I came across them."

That was one of the potential locations for the descent of the Grail… Was Caster attempting to create a workshop there?

"How… how many were there?" asked Ai, "What were they doing?"

"There was five," Tsubaki responded, "And… admittedly, they weren't doing very much. It almost felt like it was some kind of test. They weren't even fresh bodies, it was clear they'd come from the grave."

Ai nodded slowly. It was strange. A little relieving that the bodies weren't fresh, but still strange. Why would Caster, or any of the other Servants, do something like that? What sense did it make?

"More importantly, though…" the tanned girl continued, "Lancer and I had a run-in with Assassin."

Ai's eyes widened with shock.

"You were attacked by Assassin?" she exclaimed, "That's… what were they like? D-do you know?"

Assassin was a Servant class with relatively low fighting capabilities. Rather, their specialty was in killing in a stealthy manner. Naturally this wasn't suited for slaying most Servants.

Rather, Assassin's targets would be Masters, as opposed to Servants.

"She was wearing a green kimono," began Tsubaki, "And she had two katana. She was wearing a fox mask, too. But that wasn't the strangest part."

Ai could feel her heart beating faster. It's not as if she thought this war wouldn't have an Assassin-class Servant, but she had hoped that she wouldn't need to worry about them, that they'd be caught up in something else. It was a rather naïve hope, now that she reflected on it.

"Every time she attacked, every time Lancer stopped her, she'd disappear," concluded Tsubaki, folding her arms, "There wasn't a trace until she attacked again, and there wasn't anywhere she could hide, either."

"Then… was it a really good rank of Presence Concealment?" Ai asked. The Class Skill of Assassin, Presence Concealment was the capability to hide oneself until attacking, even if they were hiding in plain sight. But even as she spoke, Ai could tell this didn't feel quite right.

Tsubaki shook her head.

"There's no way that could be the case," she answered, "To begin with, Presence Concealment doesn't let a Servant vanish right before your eyes. If they've already attacked, they need to escape before they can use it again."

"So… so it was something else?" asked Ai.

The tanned girl nodded.

"But neither Lancer nor myself have any idea what it was," she took a drink from her water bottle, "Ahhh… No matter how much we tried to figure it out, the only idea we have is that she couldn't simply disappear and reappear at will."

On one hand, the fact that Assassin couldn't just teleport or something like that was something of a comfort. One the other, that still left the fact that Assassin had some method of vanishing completely. And that was terrifying. How did you counter something like that?

Did she just place her faith in Saber? She didn't see much of another choice… It wasn't as if she doubted Saber, but if she messed up she could easily get herself killed regardless of how well Saber defended her...

"Is… is there anything else?" Ai asked, shaking slightly.

"Yes," said Tsubaki, "When I arrived here today at school, I checked the rune on the storage shed. It's already been restored."

"A-already?!" cried Ai. That was terrible! The runes were being replenished that quickly?! "Then… then that means we have to find Caster quickly, o-or else-"

Tsubaki waved her hand.

"I got up early so Lancer and I could check some of the others on the way to school," she explained, "And none of them were restored yet."

"… So… so that means…" Ai trailed off. There wasn't really any doubt in her mind about what that meant, but she was frightened of even saying it.

"It means that Caster's Master is a student here, too," Tsubaki responded, "… Or they could even be a teacher."

The black-haired girl narrowed her eyes.

"I can't stand knowing that's the case. What kind of person would do let their Servant do something like this?"

"Um…" Ai hesitated. If the Caster-class Servant was doing something like this… well, Servants had free will, didn't they? "Is it possible they don't know what their Servant is doing?"

Tsubaki paused for a moment, her anger giving way, slowly, to a more thoughtful expression.

"I can't say something like that is impossible, I suppose," she said, finally, "But the only way to be sure is to track Caster down and stop them."

To be honest, Ai hoped that was the case. She didn't like it, the idea that there was someone at their school, student or teacher, who would create a bounded field encompassing such a large area. Even if she didn't know exactly what it did… there was no way it was anything good. She had seen that rune enough times now to be able to tell there was something horribly toxic about it, even if the brunette magus couldn't put her finger one exactly what that was.

Even if she had no idea what the effects of the field would be if it was activated, she simply couldn't trust it at all.

"S-so…" Ai stammered, before taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, "So what do we do?"

"Well…" Tsubaki began, "I'd like to say we could just check everyone's hands for a command seal, but it's not that simple. It'd be ridiculous to expect everyone to go along with such a random inspection. On top of that, it's not like the command seal has to be on the back of the hand, either."

"Ah…"

Ai hadn't thought about that. Tsubaki's seals were on the back of her hand, and so were her own. She thought that it would be the same way for everyone. But if it wasn't, that made the idea of trying to find the enemy Master quite a bit more complicated than it already was.

And it already hadn't sounded easy.

"So… their seals could be anywhere?" Ai questioned.

"That's right," Tsubaki responded, "Their back, their chest, their stomach. It could even be somewhere inappropriate, to be honest. Though that would be pretty ridiculous, wouldn't it?"

Tsubaki glanced towards Ai.

At the moment, there was a look of absolute horror on the small girl's face as she contemplated that. Having the command seals manifest somewhere like that… How would you deal with it? Wouldn't it be mortifying? At least no-one would see it.

"… Eh-heh… I doubt that would be the case, though, Matsushita-san," Tsubaki added, waving her hand, "I was mostly joking around. Things are pretty tense, so sometimes it's good to try and lighten the mood."

"Oh… eh-heheh…" Ai fidgeted. For a moment, she'd actually believed that the seals could manifest somewhere like that… but in retrospect, it was pretty silly to think that. Then again, if they could manifest anywhere on the body, why couldn't they appear there…?

Maybe it was best to stop thinking about this.

"So… how do we find them?" Ai asked. At this point, she wasn't sure how it would be possible to locate the enemy Master even out of the more limited pool of students and teachers. Certainly, it was less then trying to find them out of the entire city's population, but still… it was possible that they could be anyone, wasn't it?

And what if they were making a mistake, and Caster's Master wasn't a student or a teacher?

"Well, it would be easier if we could pinpoint a general location of Caster's workshop," Tsubaki took a drink from her water bottle, looking thoughtful, "It's not as if they need to be in the same place as their Master is living, but at the same time in all likelihood they'd be nearby for their Master's sake."

She leaned back against the wall.

"Even if Caster's Master isn't aware of their Servant's actions, I can't imagine that any Servant would risk making their move back and forth over large distances unnecessarily."

Ai nodded. It didn't really make much sense for Caster to set up a workshop that was too distant from where their Master lived. Not only due to the risk involved in travelling there, but the fact that something like that would seem awfully suspicious to anyone trying to find an enemy Master.

"Then… um… we try and figure out where the runes are most concentrated, and work from there? Obviously they're going to be on the leylines, but if Caster is moving in a specific area we might be able to figure out where they live…" the small brunette concluded.

"That's right, Matsushita-san!" responded Tsubaki with a grin, "And you keep acting so down on yourself, too… Anyway, the idea is to figure out where the runes are most concentrated. After we do that, we can work out what students live in that area."

Ai relaxed a little. At least they had a plan now, right? Even if the brunette wasn't feeling entirely confident in it, given how many variables there were, at least it meant they had some kind of idea of what they would be doing next. That was something to feel a bit more comfortable about, right?

"At least it's something, eh-heh…" Ai trailed off for a few moments, but then recalled what else she wanted to talk about. After all, she'd seen Tsubaki shouting at Natsuki Yukihiro. Not that she felt he was undeserving, but… she did want to know just what was going on. "Oh, um… I noticed you were yelling at that creepy Natsuki-san again… did he do something?"

Almost immediately, Tsubaki's expression soured.

"That creep was talking about Yumimura-san," she said, narrowing her eyes, "He was going on about hoping that they weren't ruining her 'pretty face' at least and it just pissed me off. Like that was all that mattered. I couldn't hold back when I heard him talking like that and just… let loose on him."

The tanned girl folded her arms.

"She's a girl who disappeared, and he's talking about her like her looks are more important then her safety. I can't stand Natsuki, but that was even worse than usual."

Ai could agree with that, at least. Natsuki Yukihiro had seemed like the type of guy who couldn't take no for an answer, the type of person who was forceful and didn't like it when he didn't get his way… But if Tsubaki was right he was also a coward who wouldn't bother again if he was rejected. But talking about a disappeared girl like that…

"I… I understand now," Ai said, finally. "That's horrible."

"He's an absolute bastard and I can't believe he thinks it's okay to act that way," Tsubaki concluded.

After that point, most of their time was spent finishing up their lunches. There was a lot of think about, at this point… Caster's Master, the whereabouts of Yumimura Saori…

Even after they finished lunch and returned to class, she was still deep in thought. Maybe after she went out with Saber for ice cream… as much as the idea scared her, it would be best for them to try and do some kind of patrol? Maybe they'd catch Caster in the act… She didn't doubt Saber's abilities, at least. Caster was most dangerous at range, and Saber's abilities would allow her to get in close quickly. In other words, for once she actually felt confident about going up against an enemy Servant. Provided they did find Caster, at least.

Still, as much as the idea frightened her… maybe a patrol really would be for the best.

The rest of the school day went just as uneventfully as the first half. Aside from lunch, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was surreal, in a way… the idea that Servant posing a threat to such a large number of people had been summoned by someone at the school. And there was still Rider to worry about… not only that, but that gunslinger Servant was somewhere out there too, and they hadn't even learned anything at all about Berserker. Ai supposed she could at least guess that the gunslinger Servant was Archer, given he was clearly rational and Assassin was now accounted for. But Berserker was a total unknown, and needless to say that was something that frightened the small brunette.

Soon enough, the bell signaling the end of the school day rang. Thankfully, in spite of missing a day, it seemed like Ai's load was relatively light…

As she was leaving, Tsubaki met her at the front gates. This time, she had Lancer with her. The blonde Servant was wearing another light dress, this time black and white, and a hat with a white ribbon.

"Greetings, Matsushita," Lancer said, bobbing her head.

"Ah… hello, Lancer…"

"I wanted to tell you that I'd like to meet up with you and Saber again, tonight," said Tsubaki, "There's a few things I want to check out on my own with Lancer, but be ready at around nine tonight."

"Right!"

With that, they parted ways.

As she walked home, Ai tried to focus on more lighthearted matters.

Like taking Saber out for ice cream.

* * *

"So, Saber-chan, how are you?"

"Ah? Oh, Marianne-san…" Saber, seated by the window, glanced towards the maid. "I guess I'm fine. I'm a little concerned about my Master, but since it's the middle of the day and there's a lot of people out… I don't think she's in immediate danger, at least."

The samurai girl smiled. While there was no way for her to avoid being concerned about her Master, the situation meant that she wasn't feeling too worried. Ai could summon her with a command seal as well, meaning that if something did happen she could arrive there in an instant.

"Aaah, ojou-sama will be fine," Marianne said, waving her hand with a cheerful grin, "She hasn't called you, has she? And it would be foolish for anyone to go attacking in broad daylight."

"You're right," replied the platinum blonde girl, "I'm staying ready for the moment she needs me, though!"

"Fufufu, you're so loyal~" declared the maid enthusiastically, leaning towards her as she did. Saber leaned back slightly. Marianne seemed like a nice girl, but she was also kind of… unusual. She kept trying to get close, and some of the things she said were strange… Saber wasn't quite sure how to react to it all. "Beautiful, cute, and loyal~ That's a great combination for a samurai, isn't it?"

"Er… I guess?" Saber shifted awkwardly. Marianne… liked to say things like that, and so did her Master, to be honest. It still felt kind of confusing to her… but she didn't really mind it either. It was just kind of strange, she didn't see why she had deserved to get such comments.

"Onee-san," came Charlotte's voice from the door, "Ojou-sama will be home soon. We should prepare."

"Ah, of course~!"

Marianne hopped off of her seat and cheerfully hurried to the door. With a wave and a wink to Saber, she left the room.

A few moments later, Saber got to her feet and left as well. She wanted to be ready to greet her Master, for one… and to be honest she kind of wanted to go out and get ice cream sooner than later. She couldn't help being excited, not when she had this kind of sweet tooth. Something both chilly and sweet just sounded great. And even though Servants weren't really bothered by temperature… well, it was hot outside, there was no denying that. Something that was simultaneously cold and sweet sounded like it would be great!

As she made her way into the main hall, she caught sight of her Master, entering the room.

"Um, Saber!" she called, "There's some things we need to talk about…"

"Eh?"

A few moments later, Ai had filled her in on the details.

"Assassin can disappear like that…" Saber said, with a frown. It was strange, hearing about a technique like that second hand. How did something like that work? Simply vanishing in plain sight would be odd enough, but the fact that Assassin only seemed to attack from different angles made it sound even more unusual. "On top of that, Caster's Master is someone at your high school?"

Ai nodded.

"Most likely… I don't like the idea of that at all," her Master said, her eyes downcast.

"Well, I guess it would be kind of strange if you did, eh-heheh…" Saber said, attempting to bring some levity to the situation. It didn't seem to work. But at least she knew a bit more about the situation now! So the gunslinging Servant was probably Archer, then… That made a lot of sense, too. In fact, if she'd really thought about it prior… that was really the obvious conclusion. Assassin was really the only other potential option, for someone like that. "… You said you wanted to patrol later… does that mean we're not getting ice cream?"

"Ah? N-no!" cried Ai, "We're definitely still getting ice cream! I don't want to skip that…"

There was no way to hide how happy Saber was to hear that. If her Master had said no, she would have immediately accepted it and understood, but she likely would have been crushed. She really wanted to try ice cream, after all…

"It's just… after that, and before we go meet Inoue-san and Lancer," Ai added, "I want to try and look around a bit more by ourselves."

"I understand, Master," Saber said, with a firm nod, "I think that's a great idea. Things might have changed, or there might be something we missed!"

Indeed, patrolling in order to locate anything unusual seemed like the best idea. Especially as it was during the day, when they were unlikely to be attacked. That seemed like a fantastic idea. There would be a low degree of risk of being interrupted. It wasn't impossible, but she had a feeling there wouldn't be a repeat incident like with Rider's attack.

"Yes, um, that's what I was thinking!" responded her Master, "So, um, we should get going…"

"I'll put on some casual wear, then!"

With that, Saber proceeded up the stairs, to Ai's room. When she got there, however…

"Eh…?"

Both Marianne and Charlotte were waiting there.

"We decided we'd help you get dressed today, Saber-chan~" declared the more expressive of the two maids, happily, before quickly stepping towards her.

"E-e-eh?! What?"

In a few moments, Saber had been fully undressed. She was certain that Marianne's hands were lingering far too long on certain areas, and they seemed to dress her far less quickly then they had undressed her. Embarrassed, nevertheless Saber eventually found herself in one of the outfits Ai had purchased for her. This time, it was a short-sleeved shirt and skirt, with another pair of thigh-high socks.

"Ah, perfect! Don't you think so, Charlotte?"

The less expressive maid nodded slowly.

Blushing, the girl samurai quickly left the room. What was all that about? She knew Marianne was strange, but she'd gotten her twin sister in on it too… Ah, she didn't want to be so flustered when she spoke to her Master, either… Saber paused outside the door and took a deep breath in order to calm herself as best she could, before eventually proceeding downstairs once again.

"Er… I'm ready, now, Master!" she called to the small brunette girl as she reached the bottom steps. Ai's eyes lingered on her for a few moments, longer then Saber had expected, before she finally spoke.

"A-ah, um, yes… Let's go!"

With that, the two girls departed from the mansion. Saber was figuratively speaking at her Master's mercy, here. She was almost uncontrollably excited about the ice cream, but she had no idea where to go.

And yet…

Suddenly, unbidden, Saber recalled the conversation they'd had in the morning. Ai had seen a piece of her past… No, not just one fragment. It had been many scenes of her entire lifetime. Her biggest regrets… the things she never got a chance to do… The reasons she had to be summoned to fight for the Holy Grail. Of course, now there was her duty to Ai, as well, but that wasn't anything to do with her wish…

Something the girl had simply never been able to do. Not with how things went in her life.

But for now, what she had to do was ensure that Ai succeeded. To fight as hard as she could. That was the path to her Master's victory, and to both their wishes. She hadn't asked what it was Ai was going to wish for. It wasn't her place to do so, and Ai had respected the secrecy of her own wish as well. Saber was comfortable leaving it that way. She trusted her Master, believed that the small girl would never wish for anything that went against her own ideals.

There was no reason to think otherwise.

"Ah, Saber, we're here!"

There was a short line at the ice cream shop, and to be honest, Saber's excitement made her feel rather impatient. For the moment, more serious matters were pushed from her mind entirely as she tried not to too obviously bounce on her heels… and failed completely.

It was a new sweet, one that was perfect for the weather. Of course she was going to be excited. Once they got to the counter, after a great deal of indecision, Saber eventually settled on a flavor called 'cookie dough'.

She didn't even wait to leave the store. She was eating even before Ai was finished paying. And the taste… it was so cold, but so sweet… and there were pieces of chocolate and dough in the ice cream itself! It had a wonderful flavor, so delicious, so cold… it was the perfect thing to eat when it was hot outside! If only they had such a thing back in her lifetime… that would have been wonderful!

However, as they left, it almost seemed as if her Master was feeling down again… Saber couldn't help but notice that her Master seemed to enter these states, sometimes… she wracked her brain to try and think of a way to help. She might have been summoned to fight, but… the Servant didn't want her Master's mental state to degrade.

However, when Saber glanced over towards her Master once more, she was perking up again… oddly enough, as she was watching Saber enjoy her ice cream. The girl samurai didn't really understand why, but provided it was managing to make Ai happier… well, she didn't mind. It was strange, but she didn't mind. If it was cheering her Master up, that was what mattered the most.

"… Eh-heh… it looks like you're really enjoying it, Saber!"

Frankly, she hadn't expected someone like this was going to be her Master. She had admittedly assumed prior that the masters involved in the Holy Grail War would be, well… more like some of those she knew in life. Those who were prepared to fight and die.

She just hadn't expected someone like Matsushita Ai.

Unfortunately, a few moments later, her Master's cheer seemed to start vanishing once more. Ah… it was so easy for Ai to lose her resolve and start to doubt herself, to go from happy to depressed in moments… Saber had to think of some way to help her, to prevent her from breaking down like this over and over.

"I hope this isn't our last meal…"

She just wasn't the most confident of people.

"Ah… don't worry, Master!" declared Saber, "As long as you're my Master, I'm your sword! And this is one sword that won't falter in her service!"

As of now, the sunset was casting streaks of orange across the sidewalks. There were few people present in the route they'd chosen to take back home. In fact, they were entirely isolated.

"It's not you I have any doubts in," her Master said, an apologetic look on her face, "I'm not a very good Master, though. I can't really help you when you're fighting…"

Saber paused for a moment. It felt like her Master took every opportunity to beat herself down… Taking a deep breath, she stepped towards the small brunette.

"You don't need to worry about fighting, Master," she asserted with a bright smile, "Fighting Is what I do best, I'm at home on a battlefield! All you need to do is keep giving me mana, and I'll fight to the end without fail! It's just like I told you before, isn't it, Master? Nothing's changed since then!"

One thing that she knew her Master couldn't claim she did poorly was supplying her with mana. Indeed, the silvery-haired girl felt like she was 'fully charged' so to speak, at any given moment, even after intense fighting.

"… But… if I can't support you…" Ai replied, morosely, "… That Rider was really scary… if we have to fight her… again…"

"Erk…" Aaaah, she had to get her Master to stop being so pessimistic! It wasn't a good way to approach the War! Even if that Rider had been scary… But that didn't mean they couldn't beat her. "… Like… like I said, all I need you to do is keep supplying me with mana. I'm faster then her, so as long as I don't let her use any of her Noble Phantasms I can overtake her at close range!"

"… I'm glad you feel so optimistic at least, Saber," the brunette commented, with a small, rather hollow laugh. "… But… I guess it does help to hear you say things like that. Eh-heheh… and I'm really glad you're enjoying your ice cream."

"Eh-heheh, well…" Saber took the opportunity to lick her ice cream again. The cookie dough flavor ice cream had been a great choice, to say the least. It was just so good! "I really like sweets, so when I learned about ice cream I really wanted to try it!"

Maybe getting off the subject of the war itself would be a good idea for her Master's mentality. Sure, the silvery-haired swordswoman wanted to ensure they had a strategy going forward, but not when her Master was feeling like this.

She had the impression that wouldn't lead anywhere good.

"I like watching you eat sweets," added her Master, brightening up, "Seeing a happy girl eating something she loves is kind of like a treasure!"

To be frank, Saber still had no idea what that sort of thing meant, but at least her Master seemed more cheerful now.

"I don't understand, but at least it makes you happy," replied the platinum blonde girl, awkwardly laughing and rubbing the back of her head, as she glanced back over towards Ai.

"It's your outfit, too… it's hard to believe you're a skilled swordswoman when you look like a cute schoolgirl on her day off!" declared her Master, yet again saying something that the Servant didn't exactly understand. Oh well, it was making her happy…

"… Thank you, Master… I think?" Saber tilted her head, "Though… I'm not really out to look cute, or anything like that. I'm dedicated to the sword, so as long as I can fight and serve you well, I'm satisfied."

"Eh-heheh… sorry," apologized Ai, with an awkward laugh.

Ah? She didn't need to apologize though! Saber raised her free hand, waving it.

"You don't have to say you're sorry, Master!" she asserted, trying to be reassuring, "I wasn't complaining, it's just not something I ever paid much attention to before."

She gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile to the brunette, but it was at that moment something else caught her eye. Her Master's shadow almost seemed to ripple for a moment… and then…

"Master!"

In an instant, the atmosphere changed. The ice cream Saber had been holding was tossed aside without a second thought, as motes of light traveled from her hand into the air. In an instant, the silver blade of a katana flashed through the air.

Metal met metal in a shower of sparks.

Saber had crossed the space between herself and her Master in the blink of an eye, and placed herself between the brunette and the figure that had suddenly risen from her shadow. No longer was she clad in casual wear, but rather her short, white kimono, black scarf fluttering in the wind.

"A… aaah…"

Wide-eyed, Ai stared in shock, her mouth hanging open.

The weapon that had nearly struck her down was now quite visible, blade shuddering against Saber's weapon. It was a straight-bladed katana, shorter then Saber's, the pale girl's silvery eyes traveling along its length to the wielder.

It was a girl, elegant, with dark hair in a long ponytail. She wore a short kimono, a second sword sheathed on her hip. On her face was a fox mask.

Assassin.

They parted, in an instant, the enemy Servant forced back. Without speaking, she moved back for several feet. She had seen it! The secret of Assassin's ability to teleport! She had emerged directly from Ai's shadow itself!

Saber pressed her assault. She wasn't going to give Assassin a moment to try and retreat again! They clashed again, but this time the girl samurai was prepared!

Both hands on her katana's hilt, Saber leveraged her blade and used it to force her enemy back. In the tiny space of time she had to strike, she thrust her blade forward and struck home!

But she'd hit the fox mask, rather then hitting the enemy Servant directly. It went flying off, a crack right through it as it landed several meters away.

Assassin leapt backwards, her sword singing through the air. Now, her face was visible… beautiful, soft features, purple eyes… but there was a coldness there. A feeling like ice.

"… You were able to intervene in my shadow-stepping," remarked the enemy Servant, in a calm, level voice, speaking for the first time since her appearance "Impressive. As expected from a Servant of the Saber class."

"Don't expect me to be happy with that compliment," the platinum blonde girl replied, sliding her feet into a ready stance, "After your attempt to assassinate my Master!"

Saber glanced back at her Master, quickly nodding her head. Thankfully, Ai understood, and hurriedly backed away.

In the scant seconds that this action took, the enemy Servant was suddenly upon her. The straight-bladed katana flashed forward with blinding speed, forcing Saber to counter with a swift slash in an upwards arc, deflecting it and forcing the attacker to back out of range once more.

"You're a skilled swordswoman," observed Saber, staring her opponent down, "And with that ability to move through shadows… You're Assassin."

"Of course," responded the black-haired girl, "Indeed, I can see there is little point in attempting to hide my nature from you."

Saber narrowed her eyes. Inwardly, she found herself cursing her failure to notice something was amiss. She had managed to protect her Master, but Assassin's attack had come far too close for comfort.

"One with such speed, and a samurai, no less," commented the Assassin, eyeing Saber's weapon and garb, "I cannot justify my failure, but I have surely encountered an interesting opponent."

Saber stood at the ready. She couldn't be certain of what abilities her opponent possessed, but for an Assassin-class Servant to be willing to engage in open battle against one of the knight classes… there was undeniably something up her enemy's sleeve.

"However… your agility may be top notch," Assassin continued, "But your strength… This is much more of an even match then I had expected. I can fulfill my duty regardless of being discovered."

"You may mock me, but I won't allow you to find victory," Saber responded, with a glare. She couldn't allow such comments to get to her.

"Mock?" her enemy questioned, tilting her head, "You misunderstand me. It was a statement of fact."

Smoothly, she sheathed the straight-bladed katana and drew her longer sword.

"This is where you are going to die."

Assassin darted towards her, but Saber's response was equally swift, and she met the enemy Servant almost immediately! Their blades clashed against one another in a shower of sparks and noise.

"Die? No, there's no way I'd allow myself to fall here!" Saber cried, pushing her opponent back, "As long as this transient body exists, I've sworn to be my Master's sword. I won't allow you to harm her!"

They parted.

"You think you are the only one?" asked Assassin, her body twisting as she lashed out once more, only to have her blade met with Saber's. To an observer, such as Ai, their movements were impossible to track. Even if she had seen Servants do battle before…

The only way she could follow the course of battle was by feeling the wind pressure from each strike, and the sound of blades clashing.

The brunette had no idea who had the upper hand. Normally when it came to melee she would hope it would be Saber, even with her Servant's low stats for the class, but this Assassin's speed and skill… even if she couldn't follow the battle with her own eyes, she knew that she had to be strong to last so long in melee with any of the knight classes.

Saber's lightning-fast strikes were being countered, but she was growing used to her opponent's defense. Certainly, she was incredibly skilled, but Saber stood as the most skilled wielder of the sword in the Shinsengumi. If she could keep analyzing the defense of her opponent, she would find a hole!

Their blades clashed again and again, the sound of metal on metal ringing out through the alleyway. The sun sank lower, the long shadow of street sign now being cast over the dueling Servants…

There! There was the hole Saber needed! The girl samurai's sword flashed like lightning, and bit into…

Empty air.

Assassin had vanished?! But where could she have gone!? She could disappear that quickly into the shdows?!

"What…?"

Her silver-gold eyes widening, Saber looked around. She'd heard from Ai about how Assassin could disappear into the darkness, and seen it the first moment she had appeared. But this was something entirely different. She could vanish that quickly?!

"Saber!"

On hearing her Master's voice, the platinum blonde swordswoman looked back over her shoulder… and saw Assassin rising from her shadow in an instant, her shorter blade swinging outward in a wide arc!

Saber had barely any time for a response, just managing to deflect her attacker's offense and hurl herself back and out of the way.

A thin line had been sliced through the skin of her shoulder, trickling red.

"… And so I drew first blood," declared Assassin, flicking her blade clean, "My lord would be proud."

She paused for a moment, as Saber immediately took a ready stance. Now Assassin was between her and her Master…

"… Concerned for your Master's life?" questioned the enemy Servant, "Worry not, Saber. I understand that you would prevent any further attempts I make to eliminate her, now that I have been discovered. I will slay you first, before slaying her as well."

Saber gritted her teeth. There's no way she could allow her Master to fall. If she died, it would only be if it ensured her Master wouldn't follow!

"As if I'd allow you to touch her!" snapped the swordswoman, darting forward in an instant, covering the distance between herself and Assassin in the blink of an eye. Her thrusting blade was answered by a deflection from her opponent's katana, and the follow-up slash was met with an equally swift block. Indeed, Assassin was a formidable foe… But Saber held firm. She could defeat her! Even if she could travel through shadows…

Another hole opened in Assassin's defense, another strike…! But the black-haired girl had already disappeared.

This time, Saber's eyes were on the shadows. If she could travel through any shadow, then she could appear anywhere she wanted… but she had waited until the shadow from the signpost was cast over them. If that's how it worked, in that case…!

To her left!

Saber spun on her heel and swung her katana in an arc. Assassin, who had been rising from the shadow cast by the nearby wall, barely had a chance to spring into the air, leaping over Saber's strike and allowing it to slice through the solid wall behind her! A second strike carved through the wall, and as Assassin landed on the other side, in the yard of the nearby home, a portion of the wall fell away, exposing her once more.

"… So you discovered the secret of my shadow-stepping so quickly?" Assassin asked, tilting her head, "Perhaps this will be a longer battle then I believed…"

"Of course!" Saber declared, katana held at the ready as she advanced through the hole, "I noticed that the shadow from the signpost was touching the shadow from the wall. It's not any shadow you can move through, they have to be in contact, even if it's only for an instant!"

"Impressive," commented Assassin, giving Saber a slight smile, "To understand the technique behind one of my skills so swiftly… Surely, you must be a warrior of great fame and prowess. A desirable opponent, especially given the both of us originate from Japan's history. But tell me, Saber, will that knowledge truly allow you to counter it?"

The silvery-blonde-haired girl's grip tightened on the hilt of her katana. Every single moment in battle counted, even if she wasn't clashing with her opponent. It would be difficult to prevent Assassin from using her shadow-stepping, but now she could prepare for it.

"As long as I'm prepared for your attack, I can counter it," Saber asserted, giving the enemy Servant a small smile of her own. She hadn't trained so hard, perfected her techniques so extensively, without being able to understand and combat even the most subtle and dangerous tricks an enemy could utilize!

"Heh," Assassin's only response was a single, solitary laugh, before reaching into her kimono. In a flash, she had drawn and thrown a set of four razor-sharp kunai, forcing Saber to dart to her right in order to dodge. In a split second she had already thrown another set of kunai, but Saber was more prepared this time, using her speed to go up the back wall of the yard and run across it, even as another set of four kunai embedded themselves in the concrete behind her!

The moment she came in line with Assassin, Saber leapt from the wall, flashing through the air in an instant to bring her sword slicing downwards! This time, her enemy was barely capable of blocking the blow, sparks scattering from the clashing metal as the sound of each blade colliding with one another rang out.

While Saber's parameters were hardly the highest for her class, the force of her katana coming down made Assassin bend at the knee, the earth beneath the dueling Servants cracking. The force was too much for Assassin, and she was sent hurtling backwards!

When she made contact with the rear of the house, the wall crumbled and cast up a cloud of dust, obscuring her for the moment. Even as it began to clear, however…!

The shorter of Assassin's paired blades suddenly came hurtling from the debris cloud, taking Saber by surprise. However, she didn't forget herself to the point where she failed to dodge, tilting her body to the side as it careened past her, embedding itself firmly in the back wall. And yet…

Before her, as the dust settled, Assassin was gone.

"How-"

Saber's answer came immediately from behind her. A blade, singing as it sliced the air in an arc towards her back, forcing her to twist in place in order to deflect it!

It only took a moment for the girl samurai to assemble what had happened in her mind. Assassin could use any shadows, as long as they were touching one another, to hide herself in. That meant she must have used the shadow of her weapon in order to get behind her!

Even knowing how it worked, that shadow-stepping skill was far too dangerous to leave unchecked. By this point, Saber was certain that she had to address it somehow… but how? It wasn't as if she could eliminate all the shadows in the yard. She had to find somewhere that lacked shadows entirely!

They parted for a brief moment, and clashed again, steel grinding against steel.

"Amazing!" declared Assassin, who was now openly grinning, "Slaying someone like you… truly, truly it is a feat worthy of my one true lord! Truly, my lord would shower me with praise for your death!"

Where could she go? She had to find somewhere that made it difficult for Assassin to use her shadow-stepping, but also somewhere that the enemy Servant would follow her…!

Even as she clashed with Assassin once more, sparks illuminating the vicious grin now adorning her opponent's face, each collision of blade on blade highlighting the gleeful look in her opponent's eyes, Saber was trying to analyze her surroundings, to find a spot in which she could take the battle that would remove Assassin's advantage when in the shadows.

Given the sun was setting, she had little time to waste…!

There!

The rooftop was still bathed in sunlight. If Saber could guide Assassin onto the roof, there would be no more tricks. There wasn't enough shadow up there to use that technique!

But how? It wasn't as if Assassin wouldn't be unaware of such a thing. By this point, Assassin was aware that matching pure swordplay with Saber was unlikely to end in her victory. So there was no way that her enemy would follow her somewhere that would eliminate one of her options!

Unless she thought that she would win regardless…

Assassin's blade flashed again, and just as swiftly, Saber's went up to meet it.

But then, something happened. In that instant, her opponent's blade seemed to shimmer, and almost fade…

"Yuurei no Setsudan!"

Her Noble Phantasm!?

Saber's silvery eyes widened in shock as Assassin's sword simply passed through hers. This whole time, Assassin had possessed the ability to phase her weapon through others?! Her Noble Phantasm… it was an assassination sword that could pass through objects as if nothing was there, in order to cleave through its real target!

But this…

Perhaps this was Saber's chance.

Her body twisted, but she still felt it. The blade cutting into her chest, above her breasts, and slicing diagonally across her body. She stepped back as it left her, blood spattering across the ground. Assassin's sword had even passed through her clothing, leaving the blood to stain her kimono.

Saber gasped. She was used to pain, but that didn't make this any better.

"Ah…"

"S… Saber…?"

There was her Master, eyes wide with horror at the girl's bleeding frame, having followed them, peering through the gap Saber had cut into the wall.

But there was no time to reassure her.

Pain radiated through Saber's frame. But her mind was clear. Her next actions had to be very deliberate. The platinum blonde girl had to act swiftly.

Morever… an assassin who could vanish into the shadows, dutiful to a lord who was not present, using a manslaying technique created in order to impress that lord… It was perhaps not the best basis, but…

She had to make Assassin think she was retreating!

Using the nearby wall as a springboard, holding her bloodied chest in one hand, Saber sprang up and onto the roof.

Just as she had hoped, Assassin followed.

"Fleeing? How disappointing," Assassin commented as she landed on the roof of the home, brandishing her katana. Placing both hands on her blade, Saber turned slowly in place.

"Oh… perhaps not? Have you decided to face your death?" Assassin asked, readying herself for another attack.

"An Assassin who is always in the shadows…" Saber's gaze was firmly planted on Assassin, following every movement. "Loyal to an unseen lord… You are Mori Ranmaru, aren't you?"

The enemy Servant paused for a moment.

"… Ah, so you guessed?" she asked, after a moment, "… Indeed, I am Mori Ranmaru, loyal attendant to the greatest of all warlords of the Sengoku era: Oda Nobunaga-sama! Ah, the thought of her praise for slaying such a strong foe such as you… it's intoxicating! You'll die for me, won't you!?"

Assassin didn't know it yet, but the tide of battle had shifted. The way in which Saber had taken the blade across her body had been painful, yes, but…

She'd ensured that it wasn't a serious injury!

The wild look in her opponent's eyes, Assassin was obsessed with the thought of her lord's praise. Her adoration of the one she had served in life was chief in her mind, above all else! It was these things that had allowed Saber's ploy to be executed.

"I think you're too confident, Assassin!"

In the blink of an eye, the space between them was cleared, slates torn up from the rooftop. Range was nothing to someone who had mastered the art of flash-stepping!

Assassin, who had assumed Saber was more deeply injured then she truly was, was taken aback by this sudden burst of speed, almost pierced by the edge of the silvery-haired girl's katana. Their blades clashed once more.

"Saber?! Even as a Servant, that injury-"

"Your own desires betrayed you!" Saber interjected, stepping forward and pushing her opponent back. "You thought only of being praised by your lord, someone who isn't even here. Because I fled, you assumed I had been seriously injured, and followed me to a place where your shadow-stepping is no use!"

Realization dawned on her enemy.

"… Impressive, Saber," replied Assassin, through gritted teeth, "Deceiving someone whose life has been constructed on deception… Whoever you were in life, perhaps you were not unfamiliar with deceit?"

Leveraging her katana, Saber used the momentum she had built to drive the enemy Servant's blade to the side! Even if it was quickly answered by a dodge and deflection, by this point the girl samurai was familiar with her enemy's technique. All she had to do was make that hole in her defenses one last time! All she had to do was keep on her, never giving her an opening to escape!

Even as Assassin leapt over her, Saber's blade flashed up to meet her strikes, and the silvery-haired Servant kept pressing her offensive. She'd forced Assassin to fight directly, without her shadow-stepping, and that Noble Phantasm wouldn't be nearly as dangerous now that she was prepared!

Again and again, their blades clashed, until…!

There! Assassin's blade was pushed aside, and Saber thrust her katana forward, through that instant-long gap!

The tip of her sword bit into flesh, piercing Assassin's shoulder. Her opponent let out a cry of surprise and pain as It erupted out through her back. It hadn't been her target, but that blow was deep, and painful. It had run Assassin completely through!

Even as the enemy Servant leapt back, she could see the hole she had put clear through her opponent's body. The black-haired girl hit one knee with a gasp, clutching at her shoulder as she bled. Saber may not have slain her, but she had disabled that arm, for the moment!

A Servant could heal, and could be mended by their Master. But Assassin's Master was no-where to be seen.

"Stand up, Assassin, and we'll end this here!"

For a few moments, the bleeding Servant was silent. Then, her grin returning, Assassin rose back to her feet, her still-working arm gripping her sword.

"… Very well… a death in battle would earn Oda-sama's praise as well…"

The two swordswomen tensed, and…!

Gunshots rang out.

With no choice but to defend herself, Saber spun, sidestepping two shots and deflecting the other three. It wasn't hard to locate the shooter.

Perched on the corner of the wall, tipping his hat, was the blonde-haired Archer-class Servant. He was a boy clad in attire that called for images of the wild west.

"'Evening, ma'am."

"Archer?!" Saber cried, "Why…"

Interrupting herself, the silvery-haired girl quickly turned back towards her foe, but Assassin had already fled.

She'd lost her chance to end it… Her attention immediately returned to the gun-toting Servant.

"Archer, why did you intervene?!" she snapped, unable to hold back her anger. She had almost finished off Assassin right here… even if they were enemies, surely Archer could understand the merit in removing a Servant that could pose such a threat to either of their Masters, couldn't he?!

"Sorry, but it wasn't my idea," replied the gunslinger with a shrug, "I woulda been happy to watch you work, but Master's orders."

At Saber's glare, he sighed.

"I'm not here to fight, either," he added, "Believe me, I would love to test the fastest gun in the west against the fastest sword in the east, but my Master's not ready for that yet. See ya around, ma'am."

Before Saber could say anything else, Archer had already disappeared into spirit form.

She'd failed to slay Assassin, and yet…

If nothing else, she now knew Assassin's identity. And had learned her combat style. If they met in battle once more, Saber felt confident she would emerge victorious.

The moment she stepped off the rooftop, she was immediately embraced by her Master.

"Ah?"

"S-Saber!" cried Ai, tears in her eyes, "Y-you're bleeding, I… I… I h-have to fix your wounds, I… I w-was scared you were… I…"

"… It's alright, Master," she said, pushing the fight out of her mind for the moment to try and reassure the small girl, "It's not as bad as it looks, I'm sure it'll heal-"

"S-still!"

As her Master began to mend her injury, one thought surfaced in Saber's mind.

If nothing else, at least she had protected Ai.

The tiny girl was fretting, and that warm sensation once again spread through Saber's chest. It was a shallow injury, so a Servant's capabilities to heal would assist in mending the injury. It seemed like her Master was surprised at how quickly it was healing… she'd assumed it was as bad as it looked, too.

"Ah… it healed so fast…" Ai said, her eyes widening, surprised at the speed of Saber's healing what looked like a deep cut.

"It wasn't as bad as it looked," Saber explained, doing her best to reassure the smaller girl, "I had to lure onto the rooftop, or else I couldn't stop her from using the shadows. So… I let her hit me, but I pulled back enough that she wouldn't cut very deeply."

"U-um… I see…"

It seemed like her Master was still too scared to fully comprehend it… and Saber couldn't help but be angry. Archer's intervention had allowed Assassin to escape…

"I almost killed Assassin, but Archer intervened…" Saber added, glaring at the corner of the wall where the blonde-haired cowboy had been standing. "I can't understand why. Wouldn't allowing me to slay Assassin be the best choice?"

Ai was silent for a few moments. She kept glancing at the bloodstains on Saber's kimono…

"… U-um…" the small brunette hesitated, "Do you think… is it possible that Archer and Assassin are allies?"

Her eyes hadn't left the bloodstain, even though the wound had been healed.

"I don't think so," replied Saber, finally tearing her eyes away from the corner of the wall that Archer had appeared on, "If that was the case, Archer could have intervened much earlier and joined the fight. But he left as soon as possible… It's just… frustrating!"

The truth was it was hard for Saber not to be angry. Assassin had directly threatened her Master, tried to kill her, and then she'd escaped right when she'd had her where she wanted her. Would Assassin's decision not to attack her Master extend beyond this fight, or was this where it ended? There was no way for Saber to tell, and the reason it was a potential problem was all because of Archer.  
But… Saber tried her best not to dwell on that fact. Even though her Master was attempting to calm herself down, the girl samurai didn't need any special abilities to be able to tell that the small brunette was still shaking with fear.

"… I'm glad you're okay, Master," she said, placing one delicate, pale hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. She had to cool her own anger, and she had to try and reassure her Master as well. The platinum blonde didn't want her Master to break down. She couldn't allow something like that to happen if she could help it. "Do you think we should go back home?"

There was a few moments of silence. Ai was gulping in air, then took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. It didn't really seem to work very well, but she was shaking less at least…

"… N-no…" she said, finally, "I… I-I'm scared, but… I… we need to figure out if anything strange h-has been happening… and investigate the runes…"  
"If you're absolutely certain, Master," replied Saber, "I can keep going."

She did her best to give Ai a smile, no matter how angry she was about Archer's intervention in her fight with Assassin. Both times he appeared, he'd been just as quick to vanish without doing much in the way of fighting…

"… A-are you sure?" asked Ai, still airing the bloodstain on the front of Saber's kimono.

"The wound's healed, thanks to my Master," replied Saber. It was true, without the help of her Master's magecraft the cut would likely have taken much longer to heal. She was hardly about to pretend she knew much about the process behind the healing magecraft, but what she knew is that it had worked with the ability of a Servant to heal. And more importantly, the girl samurai knew that hearing that could potentially help with her Master's morale.

She had to try and help her Master somehow, and right now, right after being attacked… It was important to try and keep her spirits up, at least, if nothing else. "If you want to patrol, I can protect you. I don't think we'll be seeing Assassin again any time soon."

Part of Saber wanted to try and find Assassin. To track her down and finish her off, before she could pose a threat like that to her Master again. But at the same time, she realized that this was a poor idea when her Master was this shaken. To be honest, she wasn't sure letting Ai continue on this patrol was a good idea, either… But her Master seemed to want to do it, in spite of how shaken she was. Even if part of her wanted to scoop the small brunette up and run her back home, she decided that it was for the best to at least do a quick scouting of the surrounding area.

Cherry blossom petal lights fluttered off of her body, leaving her once again in the casual outfit Marianne and Charlotte had selected for her. Getting rid of the bloodstains was probably a good idea for her Master's composure, as well.

"… S-so… so we'll…" Ai stammered, before taking a deep breath, "We're going to check this area over for any more of those runes… or… or any of the Dead. If there's any of… of those here, it's our duty to eliminate them. And… a-and if we… we see Assassin again."

Saber gave her a confident, firm nod, smiling. "I'll defeat her. I got used to her fighting style, and I know how to counter her tricks now. When it comes to swordplay, I'm the more skilled one!"

That seemed to comfort her Master a little, at least. But… Saber couldn't hold back her concerns any longer.

"… Master, you don't have to push yourself," the girl samurai added, her smile turning into a small frown, "I don't think there's any shame in being frightened… nor is there in going back home for now. We'll be meeting up with Inoue-san and Lancer later, anyway, won't we?"

She saw her Master hesitate before responding.

"Th-that's… that's true, but…" she fidgeted, "If… if Caster's Master is someone at my school… I've only attended two days, but it's… it feels like I should do something."

"But we will be doing something later, won't we?"

Ai adjusted her glasses before managing to speak again.

"Th-that's… yes… but I… I… if they're… I… It's scary… all of this is scary…" she replied, "… But… it's my duty… I… I came here to fight in the Holy Grail War… and I wanted to make sure that the secrecy of magecraft was kept safe, and… and that no-one who wasn't involved in all this had to suffer because of it… so… so even if I'm scared… I-I don't want to give up."

Ah… so that was it. Her duty outweighed her fears, even if it was just barely. Even if she was scared, it was something she didn't want to give up on…

Saber gave her Master a smile. It wasn't just that she felt she needed to protect the fragile-seeming girl, now. It wasn't just affection born from concern for her Master's safety, and a need to reassure her.

"Master, I'm proud to be your Servant."

"E-e-eh?! Why?! I-I'm… I'm a terrible Master, I… I can only barely heal you u-um…" the brunette stammered.  
Still smiling, Saber waved her hand.

"You're someone I can feel proud of following. Because even if you're scared, you still want to do your duty and try and make sure no-one else gets hurt," she said, "No matter what you say, it makes me happy to know I've been summoned by a Master like that."

"A...a-ah… hawawawa…" Ai buried her face in her hands, practically glowing from how red she'd gotten, "I-I'm nothing as i-impressive as th-that… I-I'm not good at all, i-it's just… I w-was… I had to…"

"You don't need to try and bring yourself, down, Master," replied Saber, nodding to herself as she did. It was simply fact, in the samurai's mind. She had a Master who, no matter how timid she was, showed genuine dedication to the duty she had been given. "This is my honest feelings. You're someone I feel proud to follow."

"… Aaaah…"

The small brunette buried her face deeper into her hands. It seemed like she didn't know how to handle the praise she had received, now… She was even crouching as she mumbled to herself, trying to make herself look even smaller then she usually did.

"Er… sorry, eh-heheheh…" Saber said, scratching the back of her head as she apologized, "I just thought after you said that… well, it was important to let my Master know how I felt about it, right?"

"… It's… I… th-thank you…" Ai finally said, still unmoving, almost seeming to have curled up into a ball as she crouched there, head in her hands. "B-but I don't deserve to be praised that much… I-I'm still terrified of this entire War… whenever I see you fight, I don't know what to do…"

"And yet, you stay here and make sure you heal any injuries I might have gotten, don't you?" Saber asked, "And you're still dedicated to going on this patrol, no matter how frightened you are."

Her Master mumbled to herself again. This small, frail girl was someone who was willing to put aside her fears and try her best to fulfill her duty, even if she didn't acknowledge being so. Saber couldn't help but let her know the way she felt about that, how she respected it. The simple fact was that her Master had gone from being someone she felt the need to help and protect to someone she could take pride in.

… Not that she didn't still feel as if Ai needed protection and assistance every step of the way. The girl had almost no confidence in herself and her abilities.

"So, let's go, Master," Saber said, reaching down towards the smaller girl with a smile, "Let's scout this town out and see if anything has changed. And tonight, let's put a stop to Caster's plan!"

For a few moments, Ai was silent.

Then, trembling, she reached up and took Saber's hand. Holding that small hand in her own delicate palm, Saber pulled her Master to her feet.

Ai wouldn't meet her gaze, presumably thinking she wasn't deserving of the praise that had been given to her.

Saber hoped that her Master would become capable of seeing her own worth, and the worth in her own actions, with time. But for now, the both of them had a duty they had set out to fulfill. They had to scout out the local town and see if anything had changed, if any of the runes had been restored and where it was they were if so.

When she regained some level of composure, before setting out again, Ai summoned up her cat familiars.

Even if Saber had just been fighting, even though she was still angry at Archer… well, it was hard to focus on those feelings when she was suddenly surrounded by cute cats. Kneeling, with a blissful expression on her face, she reached out to stroke one of the numerous cats behind its ears. They paid her almost no attention, still fixated on her Master's orders, but… aaah, they were so cute! How was she supposed to resist giving them attention? She simply couldn't, that was the only answer.

Moments later, they were dispatched to search the town for anything unusual once again.

"There…" Ai said, as she stood up straight, "Now… now my familiars can report to us again if they see anything unusual!"

With a nod, Saber straightened as well. As cute as they were, her Master's cat familiars were serving a far more important purpose then hanging around to be petted! By working as secondary scouts, it allowed them to cover a wider ranger of area than just herself and her Master would be capable of doing on their own.

Given what had come before it, perhaps it was for the better that the patrol itself was relatively sedate. The route they had picked out was more public, making it difficult for enemy Servants to attack even if they wanted to. Even Rider, with her seemingly shameless attitude, wouldn't likely attempt to attack so blatantly in the middle of a more crowded area. As predicted, Assassin didn't attempt to attack again. It would likely take attention from her Master to mend that injury, as Saber's katana had gone clear through her shoulder and impaled her entirely, coming out the other side.

The runes in this location did not yet seem to be restored. While Saber didn't know much about magecraft, she couldn't help but find that strange. She'd been able to understand that the bounded field required a large number of runes to link together in order to activate, and most of them had been disrupted. She'd also understood that the one closest to the school had been fixed after her Master and Inoue Tsubaki used their own magecraft to disrupt it the previous day. Then why was it that it was the only one restored? Surely Caster had time to visit at least one of the other nearby runes, didn't they?

"… It's strange, why did Caster only fix the rune by the school? Is that one more important?" Saber asked, as they continued their search for further runes.

Ai shook her head.

"No, it's not," she answered, "All of the runes need to be active for the bounded field to be created. And it takes some time for them to do it… I don't understand why Caster would only fix the rune closest to the school and then let all the others regenerate on their own. It doesn't make any sense…"

It was exactly as Saber thought.

"Could they be waiting for something?" the girl samurai added.

"Waiting? Um… maybe?" Ai looked rather thoughtful as she tried to think this possibility over, "Maybe they want something to happen before the bounded field activates… but… then why would they only fix the rune by the school? You'd think if they were fixing them they would want it to activate as soon as possible…"

The small brunette frowned.

"It's weird…"Ai continued, folding her arms across her chest as she thought it over, "It's… almost like they don't really care about the runes getting disrupted, but… I don't know why they wouldn't."

"Hmm… could it be some kind of trap?" Saber didn't really know what sort of trap would result in trying to make a bounded field, but it seemed like a more likely option the more she heard about all of this. After all, if they didn't care about the bounded field getting disrupted, maybe they just wanted to lure the other Masters and Servants somewhere? "If Caster isn't interested in fixing all of them, maybe they just want us to think that they're up to something so we end up right where they want us?"

"I… th-that's… kind of scary to think about," her Master replied. Saber winced. She hadn't wanted to frighten her Master, she was just trying to think of possibilities for this unusual approach to the bounded field that Caster was displaying. "But… I don't think that's it, either. If that was true, why would Caster wait to spring their trap? We visited a lot of the runes yesterday, after all…"

That was true… why wait? Caster hadn't shown their face at all, even though they disrupted as many of the runes they could find. Decoys? But no, they were all placed around leylines, weren't they… This was difficult. Just what was Caster's plan here, allowing the runes to be disrupted and then only bothering to fix one of them? It didn't make any sense at all. Not even the other more isolated runes had been repaired.

Just what was Caster's game here?

"Maybe Inoue-san will have some ideas…" said Ai, "A-and… we should tell her about Assassin and Archer, too…"

"Of course, Master," Saber replied, anger resurfacing at the memory of how the fight had concluded, "Now that I've figured out how Assassin's shadow-stepping works, it'll be much more difficult for her to try and perform assassinations. And since I learned her identity, too, we can figure out what to expect!"

"A-ah? You learned her identity?!"

"Ah…"

In all this time, so caught up in reassuring her Master and then attempting to figure out Caster's plan, Saber realized she hadn't actually mentioned Assassin's identity to her Ai. She fidgeted, slightly, for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"Eh-heheh… I'm sorry, Master," the platinum blonde girl scratched the back of her head, "I got so caught up in everything else that I didn't realize I forgot to mention that to you…"

"U-um, it's okay…" Ai responded, "U-um, it's just… I… well I don't have to tell you how important it is you probably know better than me anyway you were the one fighting after all it's not really your fault…"

Ah…

The best way to snap her Master out of that was just to mention Assassin's identity.

"Assassin is Mori Ranmaru," Saber declared.

"… Mori Ranmaru?" repeated the small brunette, snapped out of her own self-deprecation, "The attendant and lover of Oda Nobunaga was female? Um… then… when they talked about being Oda Nobunaga's shadow…"

"It seems like that was literal," replied the Samurai girl, neglecting to mention that they way that Assassin spoke about Nobunaga indicated the latter had been female as well, "She was obsessed with her former lord, to the point where she felt like everything was doing was for Oda Nobunaga. I think that's one of the reasons I was able to lure her onto the roof so easily. She felt like defeating me was a way to honor her lord."

"Even though Oda Nobunaga isn't here…" mused Ai. "… U-um, he's not, right…?"

"… I… would assume Oda Nobunaga would be summoned as either Archer or Saber," responded Saber, "And since I'm Saber and Archer is a cowboy I don't think so."

"R-right…" Ai paused for a moment. "Um… we should probably get back home to meet Inoue-san and Lancer."

Saber nodded. It was getting close to the set meeting time, and tonight was when they would hopefully track down Caster and put an end to their plot. Certainly, the details of Caster's plan became more muddled and confused after this patrol, but regardless of what was intended the simple fact was that Caster had to be stopped.

And so, the pair of girls headed back towards the Matsushita estate. As they walked, Saber remained wary of their surroundings. The simple fact was, now that it was getting later, the prospect of an attack by Rider was once again looming. Additionally, it wasn't impossible that Assassin would be sent to attack once more, though she was confident that the enemy Master would prefer to plan another route of attack rather then send their Servant out immediately after suffering a serious injury. On top of that, Archer's plan was still unknown, and Berserker remained unaccounted for.

Therefore, it was certainly wise to remain cautious.

But it seemed as if there was little need to be concerned, as the both of them returned home safely. However, when they arrived, Saber was surprised to see that Inoue Tsubaki and Lancer were already present. How long had then been waiting?

"Ah? Matsushita-san, Saber," Tsubaki began, waving to them as they approached, "Where were you? We've been waiting for a while now."

"Hawawawa… s-sorry, I lost track of the time…" mumbled Ai, weakly.

Saber stepped forward.

"My Master wanted to go on a patrol, to see if anything particularly unusual had happened recently," she explained, "But while we were preparing to scout the area, Assassin suddenly appeared and engaged me in combat."

"Assassin attacked you?!" exclaimed Lancer, "Did you discover the secret behind her ability to vanish!? What happened?"

The fact that Lancer was somewhat sore over her failure to defeat Assassin was rather obvious. From what Saber understood, she'd hardly lost, either, but the fact was still that she hadn't won. She could understand the frustration.

"U-um… Saber can explain it better," half-mumbled Ai, shuffling her feet. The girl samurai glanced towards her Master. While she felt that Ai would be able to convey the information as well, she decided it was for the best to attempt to explain things herself, as the small brunette wanted.

"Assassin has the ability to disappear into the shadows," she explained, "And that's not all. As long as two shadows are in contact with one another she can travel through them, letting her disappear and reappear to attack from anywhere that's in the dark."

"Of course!" Tsubaki declared, glancing towards Lancer, "That explains why she could only attack from specific angles, and how she was able to get behind me that quickly!"

Lancer folded her arms.

"So it was a trick like that, after all," she said, simply, "Of course. Assassin's capabilities don't lie in fair combat, after all. Did you learn anything else?"

Needless to say, it seemed as if Lancer was rather eager to learn about any kind of advantage she could get when it came to Assassin.

"It seems like you're really intense right now, Lancer," Saber commented, scratching the back of her head, "Not that I blame you. Assassin is pretty dangerous… I learned her identity, though, too! She's Mori Ranmaru, the famous attendant and lover of the Sengoku Warlord Oda Nobunaga!"

"Mori Ranmaru?" Tsubaki asked, "Hmmm… I wouldn't expect her to be very powerful. Not just because of her class, but because of her role in history. Disregarding the fact that history was wrong about Ranmaru's gender, the fact is that she wasn't a fighter or anything like that."

Saber shook her head.

"There was definite skill behind her blade," she responded, "I'm sure Lancer can tell you the same thing. But she didn't fight like someone who was used to long engagements. When I figured out the trick behind her shadow-stepping, she quickly used her Noble Phantasm before I tricked her onto the roof and was able to seriously injure her."

Saber sighed. The memory of the way that battle had ended still frustrated her.

"But at the last moment, Archer intervened and allowed Assassin to escape."

"Ah? Does that mean Assassin and Archer are allies?" asked Tsubaki. This time, it was Ai who spoke up.

"I don't think so… um, Saber said if they were, Archer would have acted to join forces with Assassin and support her," she responded, "But instead of doing anything like that, he just stopped Saber from finishing Assassin off and then left."

Saber nodded.

"I think this might be some sort of plan by Archer's Master," she added.

Tsubaki folded her arms, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

"I see…" she began, "Then we need to be prepared for Archer appearing to intervene in any fights we get into. There's no way of knowing what his Master's plan entails."

"Archer's behavior is decidedly uncouth," commented Lancer with a frown, "To interrupt a duel between heroic spirits… His Master must have little concern for matters of honor."

That was something Saber could definitely agree with. But this wasn't the only issue that she felt needed to be brought to their allies' attention.

"Um… there's more, too," Ai started, as if reading her Servant's mind, "We checked all the runes near the school, but none of the others had been restored. It's only the one by the school. It doesn't make any sense at all…"

Tsubaki seemed taken aback by this.

"Eh? But why?" she asked, "I was ready to start checking them all again… If Caster was able to restore the rune by the school that quickly, why didn't they restore any of the others?"

Unfortunately, Ai didn't have any answers, and neither did Saber.

"I don't know at all…" said the small brunette with a frown, "It's like they don't really care that they've been disabled. I can't think of why Caster wouldn't mind something like that… If they're going through the effort of creating such a huge bounded field, why don't they care that someone is disrupting it and keeping it from activating?"

Tsubaki sighed, but seconds later the tanned girl had perked up.

"It's not as if it's not good news, in a way. It means we have more time," she responded, looking confident. "We might not understand Caster's plan, so that means we need to be cautious, but if they're not actively attempting to restore most of the runes, it's going to be easy to keep them from repairing themselves on their own, and tracking Caster down will be easier with more time, too."

"Based on what we have seen so far, I would not be surprised if Caster comes to us, first," said Lancer.

For a moment, Saber wasn't certain this was the case. After all, Caster was going to be at a disadvantage against two of the Knight classes. Certainly, her own Magic Resistance was very low for her class, but all it would take was closing the distance. Then again, Caster's abilities were still unknown. It was possible that the enemy Servant was more capable of dealing with multiple opponents then it may have initially seemed.

Regardless, she had to be prepared for the event that they would be facing Caster tonight. By now, it had grown quite dark, streetlights providing the chief source of illumination.

"Lancer is right," Saber said, finally, "We need to be prepared for a trap."

"I'll… I'll be ready!" declared Ai, as confidently as she could. No matter how scared her Master was, Saber knew that Ai cared about stopping Caster enough to override her fear.

"Then let's go!" Tsubaki pointed towards the street.

For quite a while, the search was uneventful, just as the earlier patrol had been. Indeed, none of the runes had been reactivated, just as Ai and Saber had discovered earlier. Not only the ones that they had checked, but the other runes in a wider area. Just what was Caster playing at?

"… Maybe they're just lazy?" Saber wondered to herself. She wasn't entirely serious, even if it wasn't exactly impossible, but mostly it was something of a funny possibility to consider.

Lancer didn't seem to agree.

"I would hardly assume that would be the case, Saber," she said, "It would be ridiculous to assume Caster is simply 'being lazy'."

"Eh-heheheh…" Saber scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile, "That was a joke, Lancer…"

The blonde knight seemed rather irritable today. It wasn't as if Saber didn't understand why, but at the same time she didn't really want to say anything that would bother her fellow Servant. She was looking forward to that duel, anyway…

"Hmmm… hey, Saber," began Tsubaki, suddenly, changing her pace to walk beside the platinum blonde girl as she spoke, "What do you think of Lancer?"

"Hm? Well… it's nothing I haven't already said already, really," the girl samurai replied. To be honest, she wasn't sure why Tsubaki was asking her. She'd already praised Lancer's capabilities in combat, hadn't she? Lancer was a strong knight, a great opponent, displayed great skill with the cavalry lance she wielded, and additionally performed highly honorable conduct. Even across the different cultures they originated from, the matters of honor were similar. "She's a very skilled combatant, she's honorable, and she's a fine example of a knight!"

"No, no, I don't mean it like that," responded the black-haired girl, "I already know all of that. I mean more… what do you think of Lancer, as a girl?"

Almost immediately, Lancer looked away, pulling her hat down slightly to obscure her face.

"As… as a girl?" Saber repeated. She shifted uncertainly as she walked. Exactly… what did Tsubaki mean by that? It wasn't something the girl samurai had spent any time thinking about. What she thought about Lancer as a girl? Wasn't that kind of a secondary concern, anyway? They were both here to fight in the Holy Grail War… she glanced towards the knight, who was still doing her best to hide her face with her hat. "… I'm afraid I don't really know what you mean, Inoue-san… eh-heheh…"

"I mean… do you think she's pretty?" asked Tsubaki, "Do you think she looks nice in that dress? Do you think she's a model example of a beautiful maiden?"

"U-um… well… she's quite beautiful, I guess?" what kind of conversation was this? Saber didn't really understand, but it was kind of awkward. Lancer hadn't spoken since it began, instead attempting to cover her face as much as possible with the brim of her hat. To be fair, she was a very beautiful girl, but that wasn't exactly what Saber was focusing on.

Tsubaki chuckled.

"See, Lancer?" she said, giving a glance towards her Servant, who was still doing her best not to show her face.

"Th-this… is… very unbecoming, Master…" mumbled Lancer, sounding considerably more shy then she ever had before.

"Of course, Saber is a beautiful girl as well, isn't she?" Tsubaki declared, cheerfully. Now it was the samurai's turn to blush.

"I… what? Er… thank… you?" the swordswoman responded, taken off-guard. Why were so many people making comments to her like this? What was it about her that got them all to compliment her looks?! Her Master, the maids, Tsubaki now as well…

"I… um…"

Now Ai was joining in too?!

"Saber… Saber is a really cute girl!" cried the brunette, "She looks so happy when she's eating something sweet, and… and she looks good in any outfit I picked out for her!"

"… Um…" Saber herself had no idea how to comment, at this point. She was embarrassed to say the least, her looks were hardly the chief comment about her during her life, and she hadn't expected them to be when she was summoned to do battle in the Holy Grail War. "… Th… thank you… I-I guess…"

Tsubaki smiled brightly, but after a few moments that cheerful grin dulled somewhat.

"… I guess this is going to seem like a bit of a mood swing," the tanned girl confessed, "But… when I first encountered you, I thought about how Matsushita-san didn't seem to be suited to fight in the Holy Grail War."

"… I-I'm really not," responded Ai. Her enthusiasm had evaporated in an instant. Saber was about to comment herself, growing more then a little annoyed with the way Tsubaki had sucked away her Master's good mood, even if it had been about something embarrassing, but then the tanned girl continued.

"But the fact is she's shown a lot of dedication to finding Caster," Tsubaki continued, "So… I feel like I need to apologize, Ai-san. You're clearly working hard, and you've clearly worked up a lot of courage just to be here. I think you and Saber make a good pair."

"A-ah… hawawawa… th-that's… that's a lot of praise I don't deserve…" Ai placed her hands to her cheeks, trembling.

"See, Master? Inoue-san recognizes it as well," Saber commented, her smile returning.

"Hawawawa…"

"The next rune is ahead, in that building," Lancer's voice suddenly interjected.

"Oh, that's right!" Tsubaki declared, her attention focusing ahead once more. It was an old, abandoned apartment building. The last time they were there, nothing had actually happened. It just looked rather run down and neglected. Saber didn't know why it was abandoned, or why it was still standing. The important thing was that one of the runes had been placed inside of it. If all was as she expected, it would still be disabled, just like all the others.

She noticed her Master take a deep breath before Saber cut the tape again and the four of them entered the building. Inside, it was dark, but Tsubaki preformed some sort of magecraft that created a blue glow, enough to illuminate the entire room. Within, there was a great deal of dust and debris, cracked windows and rusted metal displaying just how little the old building had been cared for.

"Well, if Caster's been back here, they certainly haven't tidied the place up," Tsubaki joked, glancing around the room as she did. While it was a joke, that didn't mean it also wasn't true, insofar that it was clear no-one had been here since they last checked the building.

That being said, it didn't mean that Caster hadn't actually been back to the old apartments, but given what they had seen so far that was doubtful.

"Um… l-let's just… get this over with," said Ai, fidgeting. Saber nodded towards her Master. Last time, the small brunette had been even less willing to enter the old apartment complex, though the presence of two Servants had eventually reassured her that no spirits likely to be dwelling in such a location would pose any real threat. Certainly, there were weak phantoms in a place like this, but nothing that could actually be of any danger.

"There is no reason to wait around," Lancer said, simply, "All we need to do is confirm that the rune has not been reactivated."  
With that, they simply had to go up to the third floor, at the end of the first corridor. The rune would be there, unless anything had changed.

At the moment, Saber doubted there would be any alterations to the location or state of the rune. If Caster hadn't bothered to restore any of the other runes, why would they have restored the one here?

The building was silent, aside from their footsteps. The girl samurai could tell her Master was feeling rather uneasy, as well… But so far, nothing seemed any different from the last time they had been here, as they made their way up the stairs. Certainly, it was important to be aware of one's surroundings, but nothing had changed in the slightest… The same cobwebs, the same dusty, rusted railing on the stairs, the same cracked windows… The old building was certainly a mess, but there was nothing threatening there at all. As the four girls walked, the light that Tsubaki had created followed them, drifting over the tanned girl's left shoulder.

Even as they made their way up to the second floor, nothing seemed different at all. There were no traps in place, nothing that seemed to be prepared for their arrival. It was good news, but also unusual. Nothing was making any sense when it came to Caster's actions.

Until they saw the rune at the end of the corridor. It was giving off that hazy green glow, indicating it had been reactivated. In an instant, the situation had changed. For some reason Caster had chosen to fix this specific rune, but none of the others?

"Eh? This one too…? But why?" Ai said, stepping forward somewhat. Saber shared her confusion. Why is it that this rune had been activated but none of the others they'd come across in the area had been? It didn't make any sense at all.

Unless…

As Ai stepped forward, Tsubaki went to follow her.

"It's weird, this rune isn't anywhere near the school, there's plenty in between…" Tsubaki commented, "So why is it that this one has been reactivated but none of the others have?"

A tiny pinpoint of light and heat appeared on the wall to the right of Ai and made it glow white-hot in an instant. The miniscule dot swelled rapidly, growing into a wider circle incredibly quickly…!

"MASTER!"

Saber threw herself forward without a second thought, as Ai turned to face her, surprised. Behind her, Lancer grabbed Tsubaki and yanked her back, as Saber threw her arms around her Master and went hurtling forward, rolling once as she held the smaller girl close to her body.

With a sound like a woman screaming, the wall exploded inwards! A column of green light ripped through not only the side of the apartment complex, but the wall beyond! It tore its way completely through the abandoned building, a white-hot, perfectly circular hole burned in one side of the old apartments and out the other! It contracted into a thin line of green light before fading entirely. Immediately, Saber shed her casual wear in a flurry of cherry blossom petal lights, drawing her katana as she did, scarf fluttering in the light breeze from outside. She gently shoved her trembling Master behind her, catching sight of Lancer, now clad in her full armor as well.

"So it was a trap!" snapped the blonde knight, gripping her cavalry lance tightly.

There, through the hole, was a girl. She looked young, incredibly pale with black hair and green eyes, hair in short pigtails and adorned with a pair of strange, golden, spiked decorations. Her clothing was black and green, an unusual outfit consisting of a light top, mesh over her midsection, and what almost looked like bone wrapping around her waist.

In her hand, she gripped a staff tipped with the skeleton of some kind of small, horned animal, glowing with a green haze.

There was no mistake. This had to be the one behind the runes themselves.

They had come face to face with Caster.

"There you are," began the enemy Servant, grinning widely. It wasn't a friendly expression.

"Meddlers."


	5. Chapter 5

So… this was Caster…?

Ai trembled. If Saber hadn't tackled her out of the way… that spell was unreal. Such a powerful blast of mana cast in an instant, this was undeniably a magus from the Age of Gods. In a contest of power between a modern magus and Caster, the result would be the same every single time. The only victor could be Caster.

"Master!" Saber said, glancing back over her shoulder towards Ai, "I'll prevent her from attacking like that again!"

"I… I…"

"Is that so?" Caster commented, cocking her head to one side, "Fufufu, how foolish~ Perhaps I should demonstrate to you just what kind of enemy you have set yourselves against."

"Lancer!" Ai heard Tsubaki's voice call. In an instant, the knight girl sprinted forward, bringing her cavalry lance to the ready, and-  
A green circle emanated from the tip of Caster's staff and another thick green beam erupted from the center of it with a scream. Lancer was engulfed in an instant, consumed in the blast of mana without a moment's pause!

Saber's eyes widened with shock, and Ai's scream died in her throat. At least, until her initial horror gave way to the realization that the laser had never actually struck Lancer. No, the mana had instead flowed around her, as if it suddenly came into contact with an invisible barrier…

Of course! Magic Resistance! The Knight classes all possessed a degree of Magic Resistance! In order to take a spell like that without suffering any harm, Lancer's must have been especially high!

When the beam faded, the blonde knight was no worse for wear, raising her cavalry lance as she watched Caster's movements.

"I believe you are the one who doesn't understand what kind of enemies you have set yourself against, Caster!" snapped the knight. At that sight, Ai's fear dulled slightly. No matter how potent Caster's magecraft was, she was against both Saber and Lancer. Even if she had range on them… there wasn't much she could do, was there?

Saber stepped forward, katana glinting in the moonlight.

"We'll put an end to this evil plot, Caster!" she declared, raising her katana parallel to the side of her head.

"Oh? Fufu, so you think this was my idea, then?" Caster cocked her head to one side, drifting back as she noted both Saber and Lancer advancing towards the hole, "Well, it doesn't matter."

She flicked her staff to the side, leaving a trail of green light as she did.

"Magic resistance, too… how troublesome," she commented with a sigh. Trying to choke back her fear, Ai attempted to consider what Caster had just said. 'You think this was my idea'? Just what did she mean? Was it really Caster's Master that had come up with the idea of using the bounded field?

"What do you mean, Caster?!" Tsubaki demanded, voicing Ai's thoughts, "If it wasn't your idea… then your Master?"

"Oh? You think?" commented Caster. Lancer stepped forward, pointing the tip of her cavalry lance towards the floating girl as Saber stepped up beside her. "I have no obligation to tell you anything else, though, you know~"

"We know enough," snapped Saber, "We know you've been building this bounded field to cover a huge amount of the city! We won't let that happen!"

Staff still outstretched, Caster flicked her wrist. There was a strange sound from behind them, like shattering glass… and then a low groan. Shaking, Ai turned towards the apartment complex. What was that? Caster had certainly cast some sort of spell, but the nature of it was impossible to discern… yet. Suddenly she found herself lifted off her feet, held close to her Servant's body as dozens of green lasers rained down on the building!

Trembling with fear, she barely noticed Lancer doing the same to Tsubaki, darting the opposite way to make it more difficult for Caster to target them all at once. Ai realized, as she tried to focus and clear her mind, that Caster's plan was simply to remain outside of the building and fire into it. Even if it was of no danger to Lancer, she could still target Tsubaki or herself, or even Saber…!

Saber suddenly placed her down and whirled on her heel. With a sound almost like a ringing bell, one thin beam was caught by the edge of Saber's katana, deflected and sent upward, blasting into the ceiling!

Rather then attempting to fire again, and hopefully getting deflected by Saber's blade, it seemed Caster's attention had shifted. On one hand, this was good because Caster was no longer firing lasers, but on the other… why was it that she had stopped attacking? There was no reason for her to cease from her position, was she planning something? Desperately, in the brief moment of respite that they had, Ai wracked her memory for any potential clues to Caster's identity.

She was using runes, and had apparently animated the dead according to Tsubaki, so she was either Celtic or Norse, and adept in necromancy. But at the moment that didn't really narrow things down at all. Her appearance, too, didn't help much. Along with these facts, it was difficult for Ai to try and focus. Her heart was hammering in her chest even as she tried to shakily adjust her glasses and think.

And then, from around the corner, from one of the old rooms, came a walking corpse.

The skin was thin and crumbling, exposing yellowed bone, as old, tattered clothing hung loosely from its body.

Ai couldn't hold back her scream.

In an instant, Saber was on the undead, her katana flashing. Before it could even react, before it could so much as try and swipe at the several, its body was cut in half, and its head hewn apart in an instant! It crumbled to the ground in a dusty heap.

"Using the bodies of the dead…" Saber narrowed her eyes, "Master, there's no way I can possibly abide Caster's actions. Even if she were not our enemy."

Still shaking with terror, Ai nodded weakly.

And then dead arms reached from the doorway, straining to reach Saber! More undead, just as decrepit and ghastly as the first, came stumbling from the doorways, arms outstretched towards the girl samurai!

Saber's silvery-gold eyes narrowed. In an instant, she pierced one of the Dead through the chest, and then effortlessly cut through its body, splitting it in two from the chest upwards. Before the first body even fell, she had taken the arms of a second undead and then sliced through its neck as it fell forward. There was no comparison. The Dead were simply unable to even touch Saber. She was too swift, too skilled. Even one of the Dead that broke away to approach Ai herself was cut in half, then quartered, its body parts falling in a dusty heap.

As she watched her Servant dance through the oncoming walking corpses, effortlessly cleaving them apart, Ai's fear abated, somewhat. She was still frightened, but the sheer world of distance between the threat of the undead and the capabilities of her Servant had comforted her, somewhat. But that raised another question.

Caster was a magus from the Age of Gods. It was impossible to consider a modern magus her equal. And yet, she had chosen to call on the Dead. While the fact that they were capable of causing harm to Servants, due to their nature as magically-empowered familiars, was impossible to ignore, they were hardly the most effective choice. Even Dead created from completely fresh corpses or those who were… still alive… were not of a particular threat to most Servants. So why, then, were these dusty cadavers Caster's choice?

If she was a legendary necromancer, who exhibited such incredible prowess when it came to magecraft, and the ability to manifest the corpses under her command behind them and in such great numbers, why was it that she had selected such poor undead to use as her weapons?

It didn't make any sense. Nothing of Caster's actions made any sense. She was no longer firing on them, but why? It was unlikely she was concerned about hitting her undead, given she had effectively thrown them away by setting them against a Servant. Had she chosen to pursue Tsubaki and Lancer instead? But Lancer possessed a high level of Magic Resistance…

A sweeping slash from Saber cleaved through one of the Dead from its left shoulder to its right hip, sending it to the floor in two pieces. By now, many of the Dead Caster had summoned lay scattered at the girl samurai's feet, hewn apart. And yet still more poured from the room, far more then it could possibly have held. In spite of the sheer number of the undead, Saber didn't appear to tire.  
Of course she didn't. She was a Servant, wasn't she?

In an instant, Saber almost seemed to disappear, vanishing entirely from Ai's sight… only to reappear beyond the oncoming mob of the Dead, just inside the doorway to the room from which they had been emerging. The dead behind her suddenly fell to pieces! Saber had moved so fast, cut through them so quickly, that it had been impossible to follow with human eyes?!

There wasn't any question of it. The Dead were no threat to Saber, and though she had lost sight of Tsubaki and Lancer, presumably the same held true for the blonde knight as well.

What was Caster doing? Why was she trying to use such weak familiars when she was fighting other Servants?

There had to be more going on here, didn't there? It was hard to figure out what, though. Caster had opened with a barrage of powerful magecraft, but now she was following up with weak undead… Saber's katana flashed once more, and the last of the Dead well to pieces. She had entirely cleared all the Dead in this area of the apartment, at least on this level.

"Master, we need to go support Inoue-san and Lancer!" Saber said, glancing back at her. Ai shook her head and nodded.

"R-right!" she said, getting to her feet as Saber began to depart down the hallway. Ai followed her Servant as quickly as she could manage. Out the window, and through the holes in the walls, she could see Caster assaulting the building, firing blasts of mana through the walls over and over, but she still couldn't quite see Tsubaki or Lancer yet. From here, she could see a detail she had previously missed about the enemy Servant: Misty, batlike wings of prana drifting behind her. They weren't part of her body, but rather some sort of aura. Part of the spell she was using to fly, or something else?

This wasn't the time to really consider such things. The fear was making Ai's train of thought race through everything that came into her mind as she tried her best to follow Saber. Now, Tsubaki and Lancer were in view. Lancer was using herself as a shield, deflecting each of Caster's spells or simply taking them head on to prevent Tsubaki from being struck!

Magic Resistance of that level was truly incredible! But it would only take the slightest mistake for Tsubaki to be injured, or worse… In a way, this seemed like an ideal location for Caster to stage her attack. It was difficult to fight her at this range from inside the building, and she had a large amount of options she could utilize from a distance. And yet it didn't seem like she was taking full advantage of the situation, somehow… This couldn't be all a magus from the Age of Gods could do, could it?

Ai was thankful, but also worried. Was Caster trying to lull them into a false sense of security?

"I suppose it would be unsatisfying if you were eradicated just like that," commented Caster, simply, as Saber and Ai came to a halt near Lancer and Tsubaki.

"Inoue-san, are you alright?" Ai asked, looking the other girl over with concern. She didn't seem to be injured, but…

"I'm fine, Ai-san," she responded, with a small smile. For a brief moment, at least, before her expression turned serious again, "We have to counterattack Caster as soon as we can, though!"

"Your undead were no match for my skills with the blade, Caster," Saber stated, bringing her katana parallel with her head once more, "But I won't forgive you for using the corpses of the dead. Can you fare any better against the sword then they did?"

"Oh, you're getting self-righteous, are you?" came Caster's amused response, "The dead are the dead. Those bodies were no longer being used, so what was the harm in taking advantage of that? Ah, if only I had fresher corpses to work with…"  
She licked her lips as she gave a sly glance towards the four girls.

"… Like your Masters, perhaps. My Master would probably approve, that boy is quite interested in death…"

That boy? Caster's Master was male! It was another piece to the puzzle that was the identity of the enemy Servant's Master! But, to put that knowledge to use, they would have to escape this situation…

"I cannot stand to hear you speak any longer, Caster," Lancer spat, raising her cavalry lance once more, "Your words are as vile as your craft."

"Oh? Is that so?" Caster asked, "Well, I do apologize~"

The small Servant's voice was dripping with sarcasm. In these few moments of downtime in the fight, Ai did everything she could to try and identify anything distinctive about Caster. Pointed ears as well, that waifish appearance… was there anyone that the small brunette could recall from mythology who fit that description? But no, even that was hardly enough. After all, Okita Souji had turned out to be female, so who could say what figure of myth or history this could truly be? The only potential hints they had was when it came to her culture!

But Ai's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed what Lancer was doing. Beads of light suddenly flowed up the length of her weapon, gathering at the very tip of the lance as the knight took a low stance, drawing her weapon back… and when she thrust it forward, there was a sound like a chiming bell and a brilliant light erupted from the tip! This seemed to take Caster by surprise, and the enemy Servant suddenly hurled herself to the side. The thin beam tore through one of the misty wings, dissipating it in an instant!

"Ah?! You…!" Caster was forced to stabilize herself in the air, glaring with those intensely green eyes as she drifted.

"Let's go, Ai-san!" declared Tsubaki, making a break for it. Realizing what the impromptu plan had been, to flee to a location in which they could escape, or have a better chance of attacking her, Ai quickly followed, as both of their Servants did their best to cover them. Even as they made their attempt to escape, however, a row of Dead suddenly rose to bar their way!

"Lancer!" called Tsubaki. Without a moment's pause, the knight suddenly picked up the pace, and charged forward. Mana erupted from the tip of her lance with a sound like thunder, coating the weapon in a brilliant golden light! As she struck the first of the Dead, it practically exploded, and the light from her lance ripped its way through the entire crowd, tearing each of the walking corpses to pieces!

No matter how hard Caster tried to prevent them from escaping, they weren't going to be stopped!

And yet, Ai couldn't help but wonder just how hard Caster really was attempting to prevent their escape.

Her thoughts were seemingly met with a response. Just as they reached the stairway, another green laser ripped right through the wall ahead of them, boring another hole clear through the building. Caster had recovered from Lancer's attack, and her assault had begun again! But this time they were on the move, making them much harder targets!

Lancer didn't even pause, sprinting ahead. Tsubaki quickly followed, behind her was Ai and Saber. Ai stumbled, trying her best to keep up, but she had never been an athletic person.

And yet, Saber was right there beside her, keeping pace, and keeping an eye on the wall. Even though Saber was capable of moving so much faster, she was staying in pace with Ai to ensure she was safe.

Saber was really doing everything she could to keep her safe!

Another of the smaller beams shot through the wall, and without pause Saber lashed out and deflected with another chiming sound, sending it right into the ceiling and out of sight.

"Master, if we don't find a good place to fight her from, I have an idea!" declared the girl samurai. An idea? What kind of idea did she have? Given the situation, all Ai could find herself doing was nodding somewhat slowly. Any plan to counteract Caster's strategy would be good, wouldn't it? And Saber clearly possessed good judgement when it came to fighting, at least…

But there wasn't much more time to try and think calmly and rationally, as another beam tore through the wall. This time, it was Lancer who handled it, her lance glazing gold as she blocked the thin beam with the side of the weapon.

When they reached the stairway, Lancer paused for a moment.

"Master, Saber, Matsushita," she said, as she glanced towards each in turn. "I'm going to attack her from above. Saber, if I do not strike her, but succeed in forcing her out of the air, can you attack her from here?"

Saber nodded.

"It looks like we both had the same idea. I might not be able to fire off any beams like you can," said the girl samurai, "But I can get close to her in an instant!"

"So you're planning on trying to get the drop on her, Lancer?" Tsubaki asked, "She'll probably think we went downstairs, too…"  
So that was the idea? Ai hoped it worked. It sounded like it should…

Lancer had already broken away, now, and darted off down the stairs. At the moment, they couldn't see Caster at all. But it could be assumed she was still close by.

"Trying to flee really isn't very becoming," Ai heard Caster's voice. Moments later, a beam of green light blasted through the wall just down the stairs, opening another large hole in the building. Using it, Ai was able to quickly look out the nearby window and work out just where Caster was now located, drifting several meters above their position. It looked like she couldn't quite see them from here, but it was only a matter of time before she guessed that they hadn't run downstairs as she assumed.

"Unless… are you trying to trick me?" the voice from outside said, sounding more amused than anything, "It's true I can't always keep track of your movements, but…"

Ai could see it, Caster's staff now pointed right for their position.

"I'm no fool~"

Saber readied herself. If it was one of the larger beams, would she be able to deflect it? Her Magic Resistance was much lower than Lancer's…

There was the sound of shattering glass. Lancer was coming into view from above… she'd dove out of the window!?

Light blazed across her cavalry lance as she rocketed through the air towards Caster! Surprised, the enemy Servant raised her hands, a green barrier flashing into existence ahead of her, but the moment that the tip of Lancer's weapon came into contact with it, it shattered and Caster was sent hurtling back! She slammed into the building across from them with a gasp.

"Master, I'm going!" declared Saber. With a blast of air pressure, nearly taking Ai off her feet, Saber suddenly exploded through the window! With a single leap, she cleared the distance between the two buildings in an instant, and was upon Caster before the enemy Servant could even react!

Was Saber about to defeat Caster?!

The platinum blonde swordwoman's blade lashed out, and from what Ai could see, it went in! It pierced Caster right through the chest!

… But something was strange.

Somehow, Caster had vanished. Straining her eyes to see what happened, Ai almost through she saw a swarm of black butterflies flutter away into the night, as Saber dropped down to the ground level.

Both Ai and Tsubaki hurried downstairs to meet their Servants.

"S-Saber? What happened?" Ai called to the silvery-gold-eyed girl as she approached. Saber turned to face her.

"I… I'm not certain, but Caster isn't dead," she replied, looking frustrated, "There wasn't a single drop of blood when I stabbed her, and she just seemed to vanish. It's like she was already planning on getting away as quickly as possible."

Lancer folded her arms.

"So she escaped, then… that must have been some sort of spell she used to flee," the knight said, frowning, "Hmph…"

"… None of this made any sense," Ai said, her shoulders sagging. Now that the battle had seemingly ended, all the tension was being released from her body, even though her heart was still hammering in her chest.

"… What do you mean, Ai-san?" asked Tsubaki, as she scanned the skies for any sign of the enemy Servant.

"I mean that, um…" the small brunette trailed off for a moment. Was this just going to sound foolish, or did it make sense to anyone else? If she said anything and it was stupid and didn't make any sense, she ultimately would be of no help. But if it was something useful, information that could help them against Caster… if she didn't say anything that would be the foolish option. "… Caster… Caster is a magus from the Age of Gods, I'm sure, um… the way she was so quickly using those powerful spells and all… but if she was a magus from the Age of Gods, why was she only using the Dead, and nothing else? They're no match for Servants."

"I don't know much about magecraft, but maybe it's because that's the only kind she could summon quickly?" Saber asked, cocking her head to one side as she did, "But you're definitely right about those walking corpses being no threat to me at all!"

"Eh-heh…" Ai took a deep breath, "That might be true, but if that was all, then why was she only using the Dead against Saber and I and attacking Lancer with magecraft? Lancer has the higher degree of Magic Resistance, so…"

She trailed off for a few moments. Did what she was saying make any sense?

"Now that you mention it…" Tsubaki began, "That is strange. Why would she use magecraft over and over again on Lancer even though it didn't work?"

"Maybe she knew there's no way she'd hit me!" declared Saber, with an air of pride, at least until she started trying to more seriously contemplate the enemy Servant's actions, "… Er… but it does seem a little unusual… it's not as if she would have won regardless, but if she wanted to win she'd try and play to her strengths, wouldn't she?"

"It cannot be denied that Caster was behaving strangely," Lancer said, glancing back towards the sky as she did, "But what's most important is that she let slip more details about her Master."

That was right! Unless Caster was lying, they now knew her Master was male… and that the bounded field had been his plan. Who would come up with an idea that could hurt so many people so blatantly? It was cruel and careless, both hurting innocent people and threatening the secrecy of magecraft…

"That's right," responded Tsubaki, "Now we've narrowed it down even further. I think tomorrow we can make our move."

"Um… make our move?" Ai asked. What did Tsubaki mean? They still didn't have enough information to target anyone in particular. There were plenty of male students, after all, so even with the information they had gained that didn't mean they were ready to go after anyone, now, did it?

"Well, Ai-san… I'm the student council president," Tsubaki turned to face the smaller girl with a grin, "Now that I have a smaller pool of targets to work with, one of my jobs is to make sure everyone is following the dress code. I'm sure I can figure out some kind of grounds to ask for an inspection."

"Ohh… Inoue-san is pretty devious, isn't she?" Saber commented, tilting her head to one side as she did. Ai had to agree on that point. Using her power as the student council president was a pretty fiendish move. It would be difficult for someone to suspect her of any ulterior motives(beyond, perhaps, making some of the male students' lives harder for a bit) and also quite difficult to find any grounds to refuse. No-one would want to look guilty, after all.

Well… that wasn't to say there weren't delinquents and types like that, but given that Caster's Master was likely someone with a reliable attendance record… that ruled them out to some extent.

"When I've found our enemy Master, I'll let you know," Tsubaki continued, placing her hands on her hips, "Regardless of what she was planning, Caster made a pretty big mistake tonight, letting us know so many details about her Master. Whatever they're planning with this bounded field is going to end tomorrow.

Even if there were a few remaining doubts lingering in Ai's mind, she couldn't help but admit to herself that she felt more hopeful now about the prospect of stopping Caster and her Master. But there were still those lingering concerns about what it was that Caster was trying to do. Her actions were strange, they didn't really follow the logic she'd expect from a powerful magus like that.

"Given that we could be up against Caster again tomorrow, I think it's for the best that we get some rest," concluded Tsubaki.

"A Servant does not require sleep, but our Masters certainly do. I agree," Lancer added, folding her arms across her chest. As she did, her armor dissipated into light and her dress and hat reappeared.

Saber followed suit, her clothing dissipating into the cherry blossom lights again to leave her once again in her casual wear.

"Are you ready to go home, Master?" she asked, turning to face Ai as she did. "If we're going to be fighting to stop Caster tomorrow, you need to be well-rested."

No matter how tonight had frightened her, the small brunette couldn't deny how tired she suddenly felt, either. Two Servant battles, one against Assassin, and one against Caster… seeing her Servant become injured like that, as well, even if it hadn't lasted long… today hadn't been a very relaxing experience, to say the least.

Ai nodded.

* * *

Unfortunately, today wasn't going to be very relaxing either. Not that any day during the Holy Grail War would be.

From the moment Ai woke up and got out of bed, she knew that they had to confront Caster's Master today. She hoped that Tsubaki knew what she was doing with her plan. What if someone ran, or tried to slip away? Then again, was it possible she was counting on that to pick out the guys who didn't want to be inspected badly enough to try and escape? The more she thought about it, the more uncertain she felt, but she was hopeful that Tsubaki had some kind of plan in mind in order to make sure no-one could escape her inspection.

Regardless, her role in the plan for the day was a rather simple one. All she needed to do was bide her time until she was contacted by Tsubaki, and then they'd both handle the Master together. Whatever concerns she may have had about the rest of the plot, that didn't make this part any less simple. After a short period of deliberation, she decided it was for the best to leave Saber home once more. After all, alerting Caster's Master of the presence of another Servant could easily disrupt Tsubaki's inspection. Once again, this wasn't a conclusion that Ai particularly liked making, but she reassured herself, and Saber, with the fact that she could instantly summon her Servant to her side when she needed her.

Today, if everything went well, she would definitely need her.

Aside from that, her morning went fairly well. Breakfast was delicious as always, courtesy of Charlotte, and she had soon departed from her mansion.

When Ai arrived at Takahashi High School, she noticed that Natsuki Yukihiro appeared to be chatting up some first-year girls and quickly attempted to avoid his gaze as she hurried inside. She didn't even want him to look at her, if she was being honest…

The first half of the school day went about as usual. Tsubaki must have planned to put her plot into effect at lunch, when everyone would have a lot of freedom to move as they wanted, allowing her to go just about anywhere she needed to in order to perform her sudden inspections. Ai supposed that if she was going to do something like that, she would probably have taken a similar tactic. It only made sense. However… she realized it felt a little strange to be starting her lunch alone. After a moment, the small brunette came to realize that she'd spent a lot of time eating with someone, now, whether it be Saber or Tsubaki. Even if it had only been for two days, eating alone now felt strange…

Ai shifted awkwardly as she placed her lunchbox on her desk, braided hair swishing as she adjusted her glasses. After only a few days, she already felt kind of lonely eating lunch alone… So that was how things had turned out.

Additionally, there was the matter of Caster's Master. If they were able to confront him at the school, that meant that it was unlikely even he would try to use Caster to fight back. No matter what he was doing with that bounded field, even someone like that would have to think that openly calling a Servant to their side would be far too blatant, wouldn't they? So it was unlikely they would be launched into a battle between Servants again suddenly.

So deep in thought was Ai that she didn't realize that another girl had suddenly appeared until she spoke.

"So you must be Matsushita-san, huh?" asked an unfamiliar female voice.

"Hawawawa!" Ai nearly jumped out of her seat at the sudden arrival,

"… Er… I didn't mean to scare you."

Taking a deep breath, the small girl slowly looked up towards the person who was speaking to her. It was another girl, somewhat shorter than Tsubaki, her somewhat more purply shade of brown hair up in two shoulder-length pigtails. She had an almost purple-brown eye color, as well, and though she was very cute also seemed to have a bit of a sharper look to her, somehow, than Tsubaki did.

"But you're definitely Matsushita-san, right?" she asked.

"Y-yeah…" Ai replied, trying to ignore how fast her heart was beating. Aaah, she'd seen legendary heroes battle it out with one another but now a fellow student approaching her made her jump… "U-um… did you need something…?"

"Wow, you really do remind me of a teddy bear, it's just like Tsubaki-san said…" commented the girl. Ah… what… what had Tsubaki told people about her? A teddy bear…? "Anyway, I'm Kitano Sachiko. Tsubaki-san said you might be lonely during lunch and wanted me to come check up on you."

"E-eh?"

"She said since she was busy with her inspections, she didn't think she'd be able to eat lunch with you," said Sachiko, "Since she's my friend, and you seemed like a nice girl from what she told me, I decided to come down and see how you were doing."

Ah… was that what Tsubaki thought? That she was so pathetic she needed a friend during lunch now or else she couldn't eat, or something? … That was probably true given how she was feeling earlier…

"So, are you feeling alright?" asked Sachiko, setting her lunch down on the nearby desk and sliding it over.

"U-um… I'm fine…" replied Ai. What was she supposed to say to this girl, though? She didn't know her at all, it wasn't like Tsubaki or Saber where she had been spending time with them every day…

"… You look pretty nervous… it's alright," Sachiko responded, waving her hand, "If you don't want to talk, that's fine, I was just kind of worried."

"U-um… no, um…" Ai fidgeted, before taking a deep breath and trying to relax herself. "Um, Kitano-san, um… so you said you're a friend of Inoue-san?"

"Ah? Yeah. Well, it's a bit more than that, I'm on the student council too," replied Sachiko, "Tsubaki-san's doing a big inspection of all the guys' uniforms in school. Something to do with the dress code and somebody violating it, or something like that. Normally I'd pay more attention, but Tsubaki-san said she wanted to try and handle this personally. Something must have made her mad."

"Oh, um, you think so…?" asked Ai. Of course, she already knew exactly why Tsubaki was making a personal effort to handle the inspections, but she could hardly tell that to Sachiko.

"Yeah, I don't think she would do something like this unless she was really angry," responded the purple-eyed girl, "I can't say I know why, though. But she's going over all the guys in school. Maybe Natsuki-san did something again…"

"Ah? Um, you think it could be something about Natsuki… Yukihiro-san?" Ai asked. Given her experience with the male student, it wasn't exactly like this was a bad guess on Sachiko's part. Still… even if she wasn't used to talking to the other girl yet, she couldn't help but feel curious…

"That's right," said Sachiko, as she opened her own lunchbox, "He might be popular with the first year girls, but he has a habit of rubbing us on the student council the wrong way. Tsubaki-san was pretty angry at him yesterday. Apparently, he was saying something pretty callous about that girl who disappeared, Yumimura Saori."

"Oh, u-um…" Ai hesitated, fidgeting. She'd been told about Yumimura Saori in a conversation about the Grail War itself. For a few moments, the small brunette was uncertain if it was okay to mention knowing about her, even though there was no possible way for Sachiko to know exactly how she had learned about the situation. Still, Ai suddenly felt rather worried about what she was going to say. Or rather, more worried. However, after reminding herself there was absolutely no way that Sachiko could guess what context Tsubaki had explained these things to her in, Ai managed to continue. "Inoue-san told me about Yumimura-san. That's terrible."

"I can't say I'm surprised she did. Tsubaki-san feels a responsibility towards the whole school and every student in attendance," began Sachiko, "Even if she's not showing it, I know she's been beating herself up about Yumimura-san."

Tsubaki had been beating herself up about Yumimura Saori? From what Ai understood, there wasn't really anything she could have done to prevent the disappearance… It had been so sudden. Especially if it really was caused by Caster, or something like that…

"Um… but she couldn't have done anything about it… if she didn't know it was going to happen…" Ai averted her eyes, almost immediately feeling guilty. This was someone's life they were talking about, after all…

"That might be true, but Tsubaki-san thinks she has to look out for everyone at the school, since she's the student council president," replied Sachiko, "And it's not just that. The word is that the police think another student might have kidnapped Yumimura-san."

… If Caster's Master really was one of the students here, that was a very real possibility, wasn't it? But why would he have done so, then? It only took a moment for Ai to decide she didn't want to think about it, only the worst possibilities entering her mind. Even if she didn't know Yumimura Saori, she had to hope she was at least alive.

"How horrible… Do you think another student could have done something like that?" Ai asked. She wasn't sure if it would help, but maybe if Sachiko had anyone in mind it could narrow it down a bit? She had no confidence in this line of questioning, but it was better than nothing, wasn't it? At least, that's what the small brunette hoped.

"Do I? Well… hm…" Sachiko looked thoughtful for a few moments, leaning back in her seat as she did, "I can't say I'm some sort of detective or anything, and I don't know everything about why the police believe it might be another student… But it's not completely unbelievable, either. It's not nice to think someone who goes to the same school as you could kidnap anyone, or worse, but sometimes there's somebody who's just plain rotten down to the core hanging around just out of sight. Even if you think there's no way that could be true."

That… was certainly a frightening thing to think about, and Ai couldn't help but imagine kidnappers and the like lurking around every corner when she heard Sachiko describe the situation. It seemed like Sachiko realized the impression she had given the smaller girl almost immediately.

"Ah… I don't mean that there's bad people everywhere, er…" she quickly clarified, waving her hands, "Just that someone like that could be a student here, it's not impossible that it could be that way. That's what I meant."

That wasn't exactly the most reassuring message, but at least it was better than the idea of people lurking around every corner, waiting to kidnap unexpecting victims and drag them off to who knows where.

Still, it took a few moments for Ai to regain her composure and try and speak again.

"Um… d-do you know if the police have any leads…?" she shifted nervously, "Um… do… do they know if Yumimura-san is alright or not…?"  
Sachiko shook her head, her pigtails bobbing with each movement.

"I'm not exactly privy to the inner workings of the police investigation," the taller girl of the two girls replied, "I only know a little bit because my father's a police officer. But at least they don't think she's been murdered right now, either."

"… I… I h-hope that doesn't change…" replied Ai, averting her eyes. At this point, she felt certain it was a crime that the local police wouldn't be able to solve. Not if it truly was involved with the Holy Grail War. But if that were true, if Yumimura Saori was still alive, that meant they had a chance to save her, didn't they? Especially with how determined Tsubaki was to defeat Caster's Master. She felt like they were getting closer, at least, but she just didn't know how close they were getting.

Hopefully it was more then she feared.

"… Er… I came here and then we got involved in all this gloomy talk," Sachiko said, leaning on the desk, "I'm sure that's not exactly the subject you were planning on chatting about."

"N-no, it's okay, um… It's important to talk a-about this stuff… e-even if I didn't ever meet her, Yumimura-san is a fellow student…" responded Ai. "So it's i-important, um…"

"That's right… but talking about it like this is pretty depressing, isn't it?" asked Sachiko, "The point is… because it's so likely that one student committed a crime against another, Tsubaki-san feels like she has to try and resolve it. She's been working like crazy ever since Yumimura-san disappeared."

Ai knew there was more to it than that, but what this spoke of was that Tsubaki really was dedicated to the cause of finding out where Yumimura Saori had disappeared to. Not just because it was likely involved with the Holy Grail War, but because of the fact that she was a fellow student. Not that Ai had really doubted that was the case, but it was a bit different to hear it from someone else rather then inferring it based on the other girl's actions.

"… Anyway, um… that's a really nice lunch!" Sachiko said, suddenly, doing her best to change the subject to something a little more light-hearted. It was at this point that Ai realized she hadn't actually started to eat, yet.

"A-ah… y-yes!" she declared. Today, was a rice balls, teriyaki chicken, fresh fruit, and tempura vegetables. Once again, Marianne had put her all into preparing everything. "Um, one of my maids, Marianne-san, prepared it for me…"

"One of your maids?!" exclaimed Sachiko, "I heard you were a pretty rich girl, and that you'd moved into the Matsushita mansion and all, but I didn't know you were the type who had multiple maids! I wish I had even one maid!"

"Eh-heheheh…" Ai blushed and scratched the back of her head, laughing somewhat awkwardly as she did. It was pretty nice having a pair of maids to handle everything. Even the boxed lunches Marianne made were of a higher quality then the junk food she'd largely subsisted on prior to moving to her family's old home. "It is pretty nice having them around…"

"What are they like?!" Sachiko asked, excitedly. It seemed she was very into the idea of having maids.

"Um… w-well…" the small brunette hesitated for a few moments. Was it okay to just talk about her maids, when they worked so hard for her? More than that, was it okay to do that when her maids have been provided by the organization? Then again, they had run errands for her before… so it wasn't as if they had to remain secret… "Um… well… they're twins, to start with…"

"Twin maids?!" cried Sachiko, "Are you living some kind of fantasy life, Matsushita-san?!"

"U-um… well… eh-heh…" Ai fidgeted a little. A lot of people would consider elements of her life to be right out of a fantasy story… "Um… Marianne-san, the one I mentioned, is really energetic and cheerful… and she's really good at cooking too, she makes all the meals. She's best at Japanese food, but she can make just about anything good."

Sachiko's eyes were practically shining as she listened to Ai. Really, it almost made the small brunette uncertain of how to react.

"Um, as for Charlotte-san… she's very quiet, and when she does say things she doesn't express herself very much," Ai continued. The difference between the way Marianne and Charlotte behaved was massive, it was strange seeing how much they looked like one another when they acted completely differently. That being said, if they ever decided to put their hair clips on the same side and dress the same way, there would be no telling them apart until they opened their mouths. "And she's better at housework then Marianne-san. I think she might handle it all by herself."

"Wow… a rich girl living with twin maids, huh…?" Sachiko mused, cocking her head to one side, "One is even better at cooking and the other at cleaning… it's really that kind of setup! I can't believe it really exists… Hey, hey, is there any chance I could ever meet your maids, Matsushita-san?!"

Until now, Sachiko had seemed like a fairly straight-laced girl. But now that the topic of maids had come up, she'd suddenly let all her excitement suddenly manifest at once. Ai could only conclude that the other girl really, really liked maids.

A lot.

"U-um… I don't know about that…" responded Ai, shifting her seat as she spoke. Would It be okay to bright her over to meet the maids? Or vice versa? One top of that, she hadn't let Tsubaki into the mansion and she had only just met this girl. What if just introducing her maids to someone outside of the community of magi somehow violated the secrecy of magecraft?!

Then again, both maids had been out shopping before, and neither of them had reported any strange behavior towards the two of them. Though somehow Ai wanted to introduce the both of them to Tsubaki first, if anyone else. Saber had already met the both of them, so Tsubaki was the next one in line.

At least if she wanted to talk to Ai's maids. For some reason.

"Th-they, um, they're pretty busy…" The girl managed to say, "S-so I don't know if they'd have the time for something like that, u-um, Kitano-san…"

"Awww…" responded Sachiko, "… And I guess it's not really fair to you to ask about that kind of thing when we only just met. Your maids have jobs to do and all, so expecting them to take a part of their day just to meet me was pretty rude, I guess…"

This conversation had gone from the serious matter of Yumimura Saori to Sachiko getting excited over her maids. Ai didn't really know how to feel about this fact, aside from knowing that Sachiko seemed to appreciate maids even more than she herself did. There was a lot to like about maids, and Sachiko seemed to like them to an extent even Ai couldn't have imagined.

"U-um, it's just that we just met u-um… it's not your fault or anything for getting excited…" replied Ai, shifting awkwardly as she did. "I-it's just that I don't really know when you'd be able to meet."

"I still got a bit ahead of myself, though."

"Eh-heh…"

"… But if there's any chance, you can tell me!" declared Sachiko. Ai nodded slowly. Maids were truly wonderful, that was true, so… even if she had just met Sachiko, given how much the other girl seemed to treasure them Ai felt like she could at least try to get over her nerves and give her a chance to meet Marianne and Charlotte. If she'd been able to get more used to talking with Tsubaki, maybe this girl too…

"… Do… do you suddenly feel lightheaded, Matsushita-san…?" Sachiko asked, suddenly.

"Eh?" glancing towards Sachiko, Ai noticed that the pigtailed girl suddenly looked much worse for wear then she had moments ago. Her head was suddenly resting on one hand, her face had gone pale. She looked… sick…

"Kitano-san… y-you… do you need to go to the nurse's office…?" she asked. What happened? She felt fine, but all of the sudden Sachiko looked like she was ill.

"I… maybe… I…"

Suddenly Sachiko slumped forward on her desk. But she wasn't the only one. From all around her, there were thuds as students passed out on their desks. Ai's eyes widened. Was it some kind of gas leak or… or… if she was unaffected… was it possible that this…

Had Caster's bounded field managed to activate?!

Ai shot to her feet. Now that she was looking, she could identify a faint green haze in the air. But how? They'd disabled all the runes… or were they more powerful than Ai had thought? Had Caster pushed ahead with the plan now that they'd fought once already?! The small brunette sprinted out of the room as quickly as she could. Her classmates still seemed to be alive, but there was no telling how long that would last…

Even in the halls, she noticed a few people fallen, collapsed, but still breathing. She had to find Tsubaki, they had to locate Caster before things got any worse! Ai's heart was pounding in her chest as she sprinted through the halls, her energy quickly wearing down. After all, she was hardly the most athletic person.

"Matsushita-san!?" a boy's voice called to her.

She glanced back over her shoulder. Oh… it was… Natsuki Yukihiro? Memories of their first encounter suddenly ran through her mind, and her legs locked up.

"Matsushita-san, I… everyone suddenly collapsed," he said, glancing around at the nearby fallen bodies, "I couldn't wake them up, but they're still breathing… do you have any idea what could have happened?"

He… was actually concerned about the others?

"Even the teachers are out, I don't know what to do… Maybe you should stay here to keep an eye on everyone, while I go for help?" he asked.

But Ai had to find Tsubaki… that… that made sense, but she this wasn't some kind of gas leak or something like that, it was something…

… Wait… if Natsuki Yukihiro was still on his feet…

"… Y… y-you're Caster's Master, then."

For a few moments, nothing could be heard but silence.

"… I guess it was a pretty foolish gamble, thinking you'd fall for it," he said, with a sigh. Reaching into his schoolbag, he drew a knife, its blade engraved with strange grooves. Eyes widening, Ai took a step back. So it was Natsuki Yukihiro this whole time. He'd planned to create the bounded field, he'd planned for all of this… It wasn't exactly unbelievable, but now Ai found herself alone with him.

"But that doesn't matter. You're going to keep your mouth shut, and you're not going to call your Servant," he said, approaching with the knife drawn, "Or I'll drive this knife into your throat and watch you bleed out on the floor. That way I'd at least get to see the agony and despair on that cute face as you die before I go take care of that bitch Inoue."

Ai trembled. Certainly, Saber would immediately be able to stop him, no matter what kind of a magus he was. But he was close… would she have time to use her command seal before he attacked her? Her legs could barely move, her entire body shaking as he stepped closer. He was going to take her, wasn't her? He was going to use her as a hostage, or kill her, or… or…

… Whenever he was done with her, he was going to attack Tsubaki, too… and everyone in the school would die, wouldn't they? This green air… without sufficient mana, it was surely toxic. It was slowly killing everyone trapped inside the bounded field.

And it would be her fault for being unable to bring herself to fight back.

But… she was a magus too, wasn't she? All she had to do was buy just a moment… A spell she could cast quickly, voicelessly, something she could perform in a single action. It was all that Ai needed in this moment, to distract him just long enough.

She took a deep breath, her circuits blazing with mana. But it wasn't anything complex she needed, now. She just needed something simple. Something fast.

"Good girl, you get to live a little whi-eh?"

Natsuki Yukihiro paused in confusion, staring as the moisture in the air condensed in front of him, forming a perfect sphere of ice. Before he could simply brush it aside, however, the sphere suddenly exploded, sending sharpened shards of frozen water through the air!

"Agh!" he raised his hand to shield his eyes, stumbling back as he did.

"S-Saber!" cried Ai, her command seals blazing as she raised her right hand, "I need you!"

One seal faded. There was a crackling sound, a flash of light, a gust of wind as the air swirled in front of her, lights twisting away from the center of a single point on the floor. In an instant, Saber appeared, her katana raised and pointed directly at Natsuki Yukihiro, a crater in the floor around her feet.

"So, you must be the Master of Caster," said Saber, silver-gold eyes narrowed, "I won't allow you to touch my Master!"

"Tch…" Yukihiro stepped back, his knife raised defensively. But there wasn't any question of who would win in a battle between Saber and a boy armed with a knife, and the look in his eyes said that he knew that.

"Grr… Caster!" he called. Saber stepped forward confidently.

"At this range, there's no way that I'd lose to-eh?" the girl samurai glanced back over her shoulder, at something behind Ai. "Master!"

Glancing back herself, Ai's eyes widened when she saw three of the Dead emerge from the shadows, decrepit corpses far too close for her to quickly defend herself with magecraft. Even if she wasn't as frightened this time around, at this close range…!

In a silver flash, Saber intervened, slicing the reaching arms from their owners, before cutting the head from one of the Dead's bodies and slicing the other in half vertically, the bodies practically crumpling into dust. Her Servant had performed just as well as expected, destroying the undead in an instant with almost no effort!

But that, as it turned out, was all that Natsuki Yukihiro had needed. The moment that both Ai and her Servant had turned back around, he was already gone.

"Ah, he got away… Saber, can you tell where he went?" Ai asked, stepping forward. She shook her head, narrowing her eyes.

"I can't, but he must have fled down this hallway…" with that, Saber sprinted down the hallway, covering the distance almost instantaneously. Ai followed her, at a much slower pace, but it was clear that Yukihiro had somehow managed to quickly vanish in the time it had taken for Saber to kill the Dead. How? Had Caster done something, or had he found a place to hide? Grimacing, Saber peered down the hallway one last time, before kneeling next to a teacher who had fallen to the side of the room. After a moment, Ai recognized her as her homeroom teacher, Hayashi-sensei.

"What happened to them all? I can feel how thick the air is here…" Saber said, placing a hand on the fallen woman.

"I-it's the bounded field… somehow Caster managed to activate the bounded field, even though we've been disabling all the runes!" Ai responded. She didn't understand it, how was it possible for the enemy Servant to create the field without all the runes fully activated? Unless… was this some sort of weakened version of the spell? Was it possible that it was meant to be far more potent? Given the effects it had already had, Ai dreaded the possibility. "They've all passed out…"

"Then there's no time to waste," replied Saber, shooting to her feet, "We have to find Caster and put an end to this bounded field, to prevent it from progressing any further!"

"Y-yes!" But where was Caster? She had to be nearby, given she had summoned those dead so quickly to help her Master escape. The bounded field had caused everyone inside it to fall deathly ill, there was no telling what it would do if allowed to reach its full effects. Ai tried her best not to just keep worrying about what could happen and focus on what they had to do. That was the only way to save everyone!

"Ai-san!" called Tsubaki's voice, and Ai turned to look over her shoulder. "Ai-san, we have to find Caster immediately! This bounded field… even if I can't tell exactly what it's working towards, the air is growing more poisonous by the second!"

At least Tsubaki had quickly sought them out. Now that they were together, maybe it would be easier to find Caster!

But first…

"It's Natsuki Yukihiro!" Ai declared, as quickly as she was able to, "Natsuki Yukihiro is Caster's Master!"

"What? He's…" Tsubaki trailed off for a few moments, before her hands curled into fists. "That bastard! I always knew he was a piece of garbage, but this… this is completely inhuman! What is he expecting to accomplish by killing so many people!?"

It was an action Ai couldn't comprehend. Even the most amoral magus would at least see that there was no value in killing so many people en masse, not when it would draw so much attention. What was it that he wanted from this? Why would someone, even someone with that kind of attitude, possibly kill their fellow students and their teachers?!

"What am I expecting to accomplish?" asked Natsuki Yukihiro's voice, seemingly from no-where, "Why would I tell you!? Watching you bitches suffer as you struggle to try and understand is fantastic! It's just what people like you deserve, isn't it!?"

His tone was like a beast's snarl as he spoke. And yet, he was no-where to be seen.

"… Master, this boy is foolish, or confident in his ability to hide," said Saber, as her silver-gold eyes scanned the hallway, "By the sound of his voice, he's somewhere close by. He's not inside any of the rooms, either. His voice isn't muffled."

How was that possible? Where could he be? If he was close, but he wasn't in any of the rooms… Wait… if his Servant was Caster…

"Inoue-san, do you think he might have been given some kind of mystic code to make him disappear?" Ai asked, her mind racing as her heartbeat quickened more and more, "Something that would let him stall!"

"… That sounds exactly like what a cowardly scumbag like him would do!" snapped Tsubaki, taking a step forward, "Lancer is on her way, but I have no idea how much time we have before the toxic air grows strong enough to hurt us, or start killing everyone! We have to find either him or Caster!"

But how? If he was invisible… If he had a mystic code that could hide his appearance… But it wasn't as if he was being granted Presence Concealment. After all, he had spoken to them without revealing himself, and yet he was apparently standing close by…

"… I-if he's being hidden like that… i-it's probably by using the light to trick our eyesight," she said, "Meaning… meaning he might need direct light to stay hidden! Saber, attack the space under every light!"

"I don't understand but I'll do it!" declared the samurai! Darting forward, she thrust under one of the school lights, meeting empty space as she did. But if Ai's guess was correct, Natsuki Yukihiro couldn't flee without exposing himself to attack, either!

The second she made herself ready to attack again, Natsuki Yukihiro stumbled out of the next light, clutching a small mirror!

"Gaaah, what kind of worthless trick is this, Caster?!" he snapped, turning to run. Even if he was a magus himself, there wasn't much he could do against Saber! Had they cornered him!? Saber darted forward, her katana raised…!

In a shower of sparks, it clashed with a green barrier.

"… Master, there's no way this will end well for us if we remain," said Caster, both hands raised to maintain the circular barrier that took up almost the entire hall. She'd managed to get in that quickly to defend her Master?! She must have been waiting nearby the entire time!

"Caster!" Saber pressed the tip of her katana down, trying to force her way through the barrier, "What kind of a monster are you, to threaten the lives of all these people?!"

"… I don't think you would understand, even if I told you," said the enemy Servant, giving Saber a smile full of false sweetness. "… Master, don't worry, if we get to a high enough vantage point… this plan can still work~"

Natsuki Yukihiro placed a hand on the small, pale girl's shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me how easy it was for it to fail!?" he practically growled, "Fine. As long as it can still work…"

"Damn it, you bastard, you're not getting away!" cried Tsubaki, breaking into a sprint towards the pair even as Saber tried to break through the barrier. It was cracking, Ai could see it, if she could just force her way all the way through…!

But both Caster and Yukihiro disappeared into a shower of black butterflies.

Almost immediately, the green tinge to the air faded into nothing. The bounded field had been cancelled? But why? Caster shouldn't have needed to stay here… unless she had forced the field to activate even though they'd deactivated all of the runes. Regardless, they'd forced Caster to turn off the bounded field, so that was good news, wasn't it!? And yet, Ai felt uncertain… what the enemy Servant had said, about being able to complete the plan…

"Grrr…" Tsubaki shook with anger as she glared at the spot where the Yukihiro and Caster and once stood, her fists clenched. After a few moments, she turned towards the nearest student on the ground, what looked like a first-year boy, and placed her fingers against his neck.

"A-are they going to be okay?" Ai asked, stepping towards Tsubaki as she spoke.

"… I think so," responded the black-haired girl, "He's breathing normally, and his pulse is normal as well… Damn it, that son of a bitch got away…"

It was the angriest Ai had ever seen Tsubaki, and she couldn't blame her. What Yukihiro had done here was terrible, nearly killing every single student and teacher in the school without even a second thought.

"Master, there's no way they're giving up," Saber said, giving one last glare towards the space that Caster and her Master had occupied before approaching Ai, "But Caster mentioned a high vantage point…"

That was their only clue. A high vantage point. Where would they be going to get a high vantage point? There weren't any particular natural formations in Minami that would allow for a good overlooking view of the entire city, so that left buildings, didn't it?

"Y-you're right… um… if that's the case then… she has to have meant one of the buildings downtown…" said the small brunette. It was the only thing that made sense to her.

"Ai-san, Saber," Tsubaki began, rising to her feet and facing the other two girls, "We're leaving before everyone recovers. We're going to track down Caster and Natsuki Yukihiro. Who knows what they'll do if we give them enough time!"

"I agree, we can't wait any longer," Saber nodded as she spoke. On this matter, there would be no argument from Ai. It was obvious that Caster intended to try this again, and soon, as well. If they left before everyone woke up… Though she was worried about her fellow students and the teachers, she trusted Tsubaki when she said they would be fine.

"R-right!"

"We'll meet up with Lancer outside," Tsubaki continued, turning to proceed down the hall, "We can't waste any time!"

Tsubaki was right, there wasn't any time to waste! As the three girls turned and began to swiftly leave, however, Ai felt doubtful again. Where would they find Caster and Yukihiro? Would they find them in time? Even if they narrowed it down to downtown, that didn't mean anything when it came to the buildings down there. Even checking one of the skyscrapers would be a time-consuming process, and they were working on borrowed time. It was reasonable to assume that they wouldn't launch their plan into action until nightfall, given that the top of a tall building was a lot more noticeable than the interior of the school. But it wasn't guaranteed, either. Yukihiro seemed reckless… Aaah, what could they do?

The small brunette struggled to think of something more concrete. Anything. They were going to a high vantage point, so naturally they would want to guarantee their success as much as they possibly could, wouldn't they? Assuming the high vantage point was necessary to ensure Caster's spell being successful, then they'd naturally want to pick the highest possible point in the city, wouldn't they?

"I-Inoue-san," began Ai, as they ran, "U-um… if Caster's intent is to ensure her spell works by going to the highest point in the city, and she's probably going for a building… what's the tallest building in Minami City?!"

Tsubaki's eyes widened.

"That would have to be the Tachibana Municipal Building!" she declared, "That's absolutely the tallest building in downtown Minami! Damn it, that's pretty far… but we should be able to make it before nightfall!"

"So we have a destination?" asked Saber, pacing herself to stay in step with the other two girls.

"That's right!"

Ai's confidence rose somewhat. Certainly, it was difficult to be completely optimistic, when she was still less than helpful… but now they knew where they needed to go!

They could stop Natsuki Yukihiro!

* * *

They'd thrown a big wrench into his plan.

He'd thought that it was bad enough when they kept disabling Caster's runes. She was a magus from the Age of Gods, anyway, how was it possible that those bitches were able to pull that off? But then Caster had activated them regardless, saying it would only take a little longer to kill everyone inside than it would have if the runes had been fully functional. But then Matsushita had immediately seen through his ruse, before he could really do much of anything, and Saber and Tsubaki showed up…

Well, it didn't matter. Not anymore. Even if they got here, they'd lose, wouldn't they?

Natsuki Yukihiro was confident about that, as he stood on top of the Tachibana Municipal Building, overlooking the city of Minami as the sun began to set.

"So, Caster, it'll cover the whole town like this?" he asked, glancing back over his shoulder. The small, pale girl nodded.

"There won't be a single human left alive after my spell is complete. Then I'll simply bring every corpse under my control~ You'll have an army, Master," she said, with a smile up at him.

An army of the dead… That was perfect. Even if the enemy Masters survived, there wouldn't be anywhere for them to hide. What did he care about the lives that would be ended? In fact… wasn't it better for them all to die? Of course it was. That way no-one could ever talk back to him.

Even those stupid girls who crushed on him at the High School were better off dead, because then they'd never be able to think of anything else but listening to his every word. That was all they were good for, wasn't it? It was only a shame that he wouldn't be able to watch them choke on the air and suffer as they perished.

"Perfect. This entire town is going to die for me… heh, all those stupid bitches at school will be my thralls, everyone will be! Isn't it amazing, Caster?"

Caster was looking out over the town as he spoke, and didn't immediately seem to react.

"Caster?"

"Ah? Of course, Master," she responded, without looking away from the view out over Minami City, "As long as I am your Servant, all the undead in my control will be yours as well."

Yukihiro had no idea what that yellowed shard of bone would summon, but it turned out to be the perfect Servant for him. He, whose desires were filled with death, and someone who could animate the dead… what could be a more perfect Servant? There wasn't anyone else.

That didn't stop him from feeling somewhat impatient, though.

"… When will you be able to activate the spell?"

"In a few hours, Master," replied the dark-haired girl, finally turning to face him, "As a magus, I'm sure you're familiar with the fact that your mana, your capabilities, it becomes more potent at certain times. Even as a Magus from the Age of Gods, this holds true for me as well. I'm waiting until I'm as potent as possible before I kill them all~"

"Right…"

That did make sense. Yukihiro waited until nightfall to perform his summon, after all. And what a summon it had been…

He'd needed blood, after all. In order to properly summon a Servant. Of course, the ritual didn't demand anything in particular. Chicken blood would have worked. But how was that worthy of summoning someone from history to serve him?

Of course it wasn't, oh no.

He had planned for weeks. To exchange one life for another.

"Heheh… I'm so excited, Caster!" he declared, grinning, "This… this is even better than my first time!"

"Your first time?" Caster questioned, cocking her head slightly to one side.

"When I summoned you. You remember that poor lump of flesh lying there, don't you?" he asked, chuckling at the recollection. The expressions that she had made were wonderful, the agony she'd suffered through as she laid there bleeding… the horror at the way he'd split her open…

"… Ah, that girl…"

"I can consider her one of mine forever! The very first person I ever murdered!" cried Yukihiro, spreading his arms wide. He'd barely been able to contain his excitement, leading up to the kill. The girl hadn't suspected a single thing. She'd thought that he was inviting her over to study with him, or something like that. It didn't matter what she thought as long as she came with him, to be honest. She was a pretty girl, but a dumb bitch like all the others.

Besides, her looks made everything even better.

When she'd gotten there, Yukihiro almost blew it just from how excited he'd been. But he managed to stay composed, long enough to keep her thinking that everything was fine, that there'd be nothing out of the ordinary. Until he bound her arms and legs with magecraft and dragged her down the stairs, to the basement. Where he'd set up his summoning circle.

If he was bringing someone into the world, why not do it by taking someone else out of it? It only made sense to him, but he hardly needed some kind of special justification. Killing was its own reward. He'd fantasized for so long about murdering the people around them, especially pretty girls like her.

The excitement it made him feel could barely be described. It was almost erotic.

Yukihiro had killed a neighborhood cat when he was younger. Caught it and cut it until it died. But that feeling paled in comparison to the sensation that crept through his body when he saw the horror and pain in that girl's eyes as his knife pierced her belly over and over, before cutting it open. He'd let her bleed out in agony, and used the blood to summon his Servant.

And the best part was that after he was finished, Caster hadn't even batted an eye at the body. In fact, she'd asked if she could have it! She was just like him, wasn't she? Why else would she say such a thing?!

Yukhiro almost felt giddy.

If he was being honest to himself…

He felt nothing but gratitude towards the dear, dead Yumimura Saori.

* * *

They had met up with Lancer outside of the school, just as emergency vehicles began to pull up outside. Tsubaki filled her Servant in on what was going on, and where they would be going.

Saber felt confident in herself. They more or less knew what it was that Caster was capable of at this point, and while she could be dangerous, and the situation was quite a dangerous one, as long as she could get into a close range battle she knew she would be able to emerge victorious. Few words were shared as the four girls made their way downtown. While the girl samurai knew she would be able to clear the distance far more quickly then they were now, she also wanted to remain close to her Master and her allies. They had to take on Caster together, after all. It wasn't that Saber didn't feel as if she could defeat Caster by herself, but it was important to stay close to her Master, and Tsubaki and Lancer would make it far easier to close the distance and reach her.

"Master, you don't need to keep walking if you're tired!" she declared, as the four of them made their way through the streets. By this point, the sun was already setting, and her Master looked quite tired, but she was still managing to keep up, "If you need me to, I can carry you the rest of the way!"

"A-ah? Y-you… I… i-if you… think you need to…" Ai trailed off. Without pausing, Saber swiftly scooped the smaller girl into her arms. Certainly, Saber herself was on the short side, but her Master was easily mistaken for a child, and was just as light as she looked.

"If she's at the top of the building, we will have to make our way up as swiftly as possible," Lancer commented, glancing over her shoulder at the others. While it seemed obvious, the simple fact was that going through the building would take quite a while, even with Saber's parameters when it came to her agility.

"Going through the building's going to be slow, and they might have alarms, anyway," said Tsubaki. By this point they were walking, to avoid drawing too much attention as well as conserve their Masters' energy. After all, Ai had slowed down quite a bit before Saber had picked her up… and now she was flushed and clinging to her Servant as if her life depended on it. "If we're going to catch that bastard we need to do it as quickly as we can to keep him and his Servant from escaping again!"

"U-um… if… if going through the building is too slow, what can we do?" Ai asked, still holding on tightly.

Saber, however, had no such concerns. She knew exactly how they were going to be able to handle this.

"Don't worry, Master," she replied, with a confident smile, "When it comes to covering a distance in a flash, I'm second to none!"

Her Master nodded weakly.

"Saber, the best option is to corner her together," said Lancer, "But if that's not possible, I'll be counting on you."

"And I'll be counting on you, too, Lancer!" responded Saber, brightly.

The situation was growing quite dire, but that didn't mean it was time for pessimism. The girl samurai was certain that too much doubt would lead to failure when faced with an enemy like Caster. More than that, however, she had to be wary. Her Master had brought it up the previous night, that Caster's behavior had been unusual. That a mage of her status would be able to raise more powerful minions then simple Dead, and that her choices of targets didn't play to her strengths. It was possible that the enemy Servant had concocted some kind of complex plan, but there was no way to be certain if that was the case.

Given that they were working on such a short time limit, as well, Saber was quite sure there was no time to simply try and assess the possible intentions behind Caster's actions. She had demonstrated her willingness to kill mass amounts of innocent people earlier, so while attempting to plan ahead and create an effective strategy was usually a good choice, there simply wasn't much time to do so.  
She could see it more clearly now, the building that Tsubaki had mentioned. There was no question of it; that was the tallest building in the city for sure. Certainly it was not alone, there were other structures taller than anything that Saber had seen in life towards the center of the city, as well. But when it came to sheer height, in this town, at least, the Tachibana Municipal Building outdid all the others. It had to be where Caster had gone.

As they came closer, the sun sank lower and lower on the horizon. For the moment, she doubted that any other Servants would interfere. Given what they already knew about Assassin, there was no way that she would consider attacking both Saber and Lancer. Archer was something of a wildcard, but he likely had no reason to interfere on the part of Caster, who was threatening the secrecy of the war as well as thousands and thousands of lives. Rider was potentially a threat, but she hadn't made an attack on them again since her first appearance.

That left Berserker. They had no way of knowing what Berserker and their Master was like, but it was hopeful that they wouldn't attempt to intervene.

Ai's grip tightened, and Saber could practically feel the rate of her heart quicken as they grew closer to their destination.

"By this time," began Tsubaki, "The Tachibana building should be pretty isolated. Once we're there, it shouldn't be a problem for the both of you to cut loose."

"I understand, Master," replied Lancer. Saber nodded.

They couldn't have anything holding them back, there was no choice but to stop Caster as quickly as possible.

By the time they reached the building, the sun had already set. Tsubaki was right, there was no-one around in the immediate area. They didn't have to hold back, to try and remain hidden and covert.

Saber gently placed her Master on the ground, and her katana appeared in her right hand in a flurry of cherry blossom petal lights. Before them was a great tower of steel and glass, unlike anything Saber had seen in life.

The Tachibana Municipal Building.

It was time to bring an end to Caster and her Master's plans.

"Saber, I… u-um…" Ai hesitated for a moment, fidgeting, before taking a deep breath, "Saber, I… I wish I could do more to support you in a fight… But… but we'll meet up with you and Lancer once you reach the roof!"

Tsubaki nodded.

"Ai-san and I will go through the building. With just us two, our spells should suffice for avoiding alarms and getting through locked doors," she said, "… I can't say I know what the both of you are planning, but you're Servants."

Saber smiled.

"Just wait and see!"

But of course, it wouldn't be that simple.

"Saber!" called her Master's voice, as she pointed upwards. Indeed, the girl samurai had felt it, the presence of an approaching Servant.

There, drifting down from above, was Caster. The misty black wings drifting behind her holding her aloft once more. She stopped ten meters above the group, looking down at them.

"… I guess it was obvious where we would be going, wasn't it?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. She shrugged. "Well, I only need to delay you for a little while, anyway~"

Before anyone could say another word, Caster waved her skull-tipped staff. Immediately, a wave of Dead emerged from the darkness, seemingly from the faint shadow cast by the Tachibana building. They weren't dangerous to Servants, even in such great numbers, but to their Masters…

Saber drew her katana parallel with her head once more, both hands firmly gripping the hilt as she did. They'd cut their way through!

"Your abominations won't stop us, Caster!" declared Lancer as she raised her cavalry lance, light faintly travelling across its surface.

"Stay back until we've cleared the way!" Saber added, looking back over her shoulder towards her Master and Tsubaki.

"Didn't I just tell you they only needed to slow you down?" asked Caster, with a giggle.

The Dead lurched forward. There were hundreds of them, and there was only so much that the two Servants could do to clear their numbers, but…!

Saber darted forward. The tip of her blade met the skull of one of the walking corpses instantly, and she sliced upwards to part its head in two! The animated bodies were so decrepit that they almost immediately crumbled into dust upon falling, as well… There wasn't any time to think about why Caster was using almost exclusively old bodies, though!

Saber's silver-gold eyes traveled across the advancing horde of undead as her blade caught the moonlight, and flashed, cutting down another of the Dead. And another. And another. With every strike, one of Caster's minions fell! Eventually they'd kill them all!

Spinning in place, Saber darted back into the horde and cut one of the Dead cleanly in half, at the waist, and then another lost both arms before losing its head! She could see Lancer, as well, using the side of her weapon to knock the walking dead away, the tip to pierce them, and blasts of magical energy to destroy as many as possible in a single blow!

It was delaying them, to be certain, but they were going to make it through! But why was Caster simply watching, without attempting to attack, herself…?

There wasn't any time, she couldn't try and focus on Caster's motivations. Even if the dead were of little threat to Saber herself, if one of them reached Ai she couldn't rely on Tsubaki to be able to defend her. Her katana flashed with moonlight once more, slicing one of the dead from shoulder to hip!

Suddenly, without warning, a hail of arrows struck from behind! They rained down, piercing Caster's Dead and sending them to the ground in clouds of dust. Surprised, Saber was barely able to cut the arrows out of the air or knock them aside as she darted to the right to avoid being struck, while Lancer used her cavalry lance and a burst of mana as a defense!

Arrows? But Archer used a gun! And it wasn't as if Caster's dead were armed…

Then she saw them.

Skeletons, with blackened bones, an eerie green haze drifting around their bodies as they made their approach. They were armed, all of them, with blades or spears or bows.

She heard Caster's voice from above.

"Those… aren't mine…?"

Caster's dead dealt with, Saber sprinted to her Master's side, Lancer following to do the same.

"Wh-who… what are… where did those come from?" Ai stammered, as Saber stepped in front of her, katana held at the ready. There was a small army of skeletal warriors present, all of them armed.

"It has to be another Servant!" Tsubaki quickly said, taking a step back. But who? No-one they had seen so far was capable of calling on the Dead other than Caster, so that left-

There was an unearthly sound to their left. A wail, a roar, a noise that did not belong in this world. As Saber turned, she saw them.

The man was huge. Gigantic. Even in life she'd never seen such an enormous person before. His body was dark-skinned, nearly black, with golden markings and decorations. In his huge hands, he gripped a pair of golden axes.

Beside him was almost the complete opposite. A tiny, waifish girl, even smaller than her Master, with pale, almost paper-white skin and red eyes, with long white hair. She was wearing a light, pale purple dress, and she curtsied with a bright smile.

"Hello. My name is Alysvial von Einzbern!" she declared, cheerfully.

Out of the corner of her eye, Saber noticed Tsubaki's eyes widen.

"Einzbern?!" she heard the black-haired girl exclaim.

"Oh, so you know me! That makes it easier," the tiny, white-haired girl said with a giggle, "Um, I don't really want to kill you, though… so if you would just surrender, Berserker can kill all your Servants and we don't have to fight!"

The little girl's cheerful demeanor and smile contrasted with every word she said.

"… Master, Saber, Matsushita," came Lancer's voice, "We cannot afford to be held back fighting Berserker."

The blonde knight stepped forward. The little girl, Alysvial, tilted her head with confusion.

"I will hold off Berserker, so that you can make your way to the top of the building," she said.

"Lancer…" said Ai, wide-eyed as she stared at the other Servant.

"… You won't die here, will you, Lancer?" asked Tsubaki.

"Of course not. I have my duty to you, and to duel Saber, do I not?" she asked, her voice filled with confidence.

"That's all I needed to hear."

Saber had faith in her ally, too. The Lancer-class Servant was a powerful fighter, even against a hulking enemy like Berserker, if she fought defensively… she could hold out!

"Let's go!"

The group split. Lancer broke into a sprint towards Berserker, and as Saber turned towards the building she heard that unearthly sound once again. Ai and Tsubaki ran towards the front entrance, and though Saber wasn't certain what they did, moments later they were inside.

Saber took a deep breath, squaring up her stance. She was the fastest and most skilled wielder of the sword in the Shinsengumi, was she not?

She could surmount this challenge.

"… Well, it's not as if it matters," said Caster, "Berserker provided a nice distraction to split you up~ I didn't even expect that!"  
Green lights ignited around the enemy Servant.

But Saber was no longer there when they fired. She had erupted forward, hit the building, and gone straight up!

For a Servant, especially one of her speed, things like this were possible. To run directly up the sheer face of a tall building-It was the fastest way to reach the top! Caster, having realized what Saber was planning, almost immediately began to ascend, facing downwards as the swordswoman sprinted across the smooth surface without pause.

The wind whipped past Saber's face, buffeting her body as she scaled the building, Lancer was fighting to give her this opportunity, there was no way she was going to waste it!

Green light ignited ahead of her, and a flurry of blasts of mana tore through the night sky towards her! But even at these speeds, even scaling the side of a building, there was no way she'd let herself get hit by something so obvious! Saber darted to the side, avoiding the beams of mana that ripped towards her! Caster fired again, and Saber dodged. She wouldn't be hit! She was gaining on the enemy Servant!

Realizing this, Caster flew away from the building and turned, attempting to remain parallel with Saber and firing on her once more. Even as she heard glass shattering from the impact of Caster's rain of mana, Saber was darting left and right, making her rapid advance up the side of the Tachibana building!

She wouldn't allow herself to be stopped! Indeed, the rooftop was coming closer and closer, even as Caster's attacks came faster and faster! She'd make it…!

There!

Saber's feet hit the rooftop. There was the stunned figure of Natsuki Yukihiro! As long as she could reach him, this would be the end!

The hail of green lasers said otherwise. Caster had made it to the top moments afterwards, and halfway across the roof, Saber was forced to stop and defend, turning to deflect the beams with the blade of her katana.

She felt white-hot pain sear through her left shoulder. One blast had managed to strike her… Saber stumbled back, but caught herself. It wasn't serious. It wouldn't stop her from fighting.

"What the hell is this, Caster?!" she heard Natsuki Yukihiro's voice from behind her, as the enemy Servant swiftly took a position in front of her Master, still drifting off the ground. "You were supposed to make sure none of them got up here!"

"… There were some unexpected developments, Master," responded his Servant, "But this is nothing I can't handle~"

Saber raised her blade parallel to the side of her head once more, as she readied herself. If she could just get close to Caster, the battle would be finished. Caster was strong at range, but if she was unable to fire off her spells quickly…

"What kind of a Servant are you, Caster? To cooperate with such an evil plot?" she asked, sliding her feet into a ready stance.

"Ah? I am simply one who acts in accordance to my Master's wishes~ I hardly care about getting my hands dirty, fufu~" replied Caster, green lights spinning in the air, circles of mana forming around her, "Do you really think I'm the only one~? That's incredibly naïve."  
Of course she didn't believe that Caster was the only malevolent Servant that could be summoned. But for someone to participate in the attempted murder of thousands of people without hesitation… what kind of person must she have been in life?

"Well, everything is going to end here, regardless," Caster said, simply.

The beams fired. Saber danced to the side, air whipping around her as she did. This time, Caster wasn't bothering with the Dead against her. Knowing that her Magic Resistance was low enough for her to pierce, she was using her spells instead.

But that didn't matter!

The world seemed to slow for a moment, as Saber cleared the distance between herself and Caster in an instant! It was a valuable skill, especially in a fight like this!

But when her moonlit katana flashed, it struck another barrier, a circular green shield of mana. Before she could try and force her way through it, there was a screaming sound as another beam of magical energy fired from the center! Saber was forced to leap back, the blast screeching past her into the night sky!

The backdraft from the girl samurai's next charge whipped across the roof, but once again she found her blade striking a barrier of mana. Once again, even as she attempted to pierce it, a series of lasers fired to force her back, followed by a thicker beam in a bid to disable her! But she wouldn't allow it to strike!

Caster was remaining highly defensive, and that made plenty of sense. She needed to stall to win, not to go for the throat. The longer this took, the closer her spell would come to completion, and the more of a chance there was for Lancer to get injured, or worse, as she held off Berserker. She had to find a way to surpass Caster's defensive strategy and slay her!

And yet, every time she came close, that barrier would appear and deflect her katana in a shower of sparks. It was strong enough to last for a moment, just long enough for her to fire another beam of mana and force Saber to disengage to avoid being hit. The injury to her shoulder told her to avoid being struck anywhere more vital if she could help it.

But she'd noticed the barrier cracking every time they clashed. It wasn't as if it could last forever! If she could put in enough power, strike hard enough, she could break it before Caster could fire another laser!

It was what she had to do.

Saber's next blow had to end this.

"Isn't this growing tiresome?" Caster asked, "We clash again and again, but neither of us advances. That's not very exciting, is it~?"

Saber's grip tensed. The moment that Caster's next attack was fired, the platinum blonde girl suddenly seemed to disappear. But in reality, she was moving at almost unthinkable speeds, in a way that made it appear as if she was simply vanishing and reappearing at her goal!

But even as she reappeared on Caster's location, that green barrier sparked into existence once more! This was it, the blow she had to shatter it with!

"Haaaaah!"

With a cry, the girl samurai thrust her katana forward! There was a sound like a ringing bell as the tip struck the barrier, and immediately cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact! She could do it! Just a little more force! Caster's green eyes widened, and she attempted to disengage, when…!

The door to the rooftop opened.

Before anything else could happen, Tsubaki came sprinting through it, right towards Natsuki Yukihiro. Faint lines were visible on her body. Some sort of magecraft!

"NAAAATSUUUUKIIIIIII!" she screamed, as the boy tried to grab something from his bag.

But it was too late.

The tanned girl's fist flashed forward, and with a crack it struck Yukihiro straight in the jaw! He let out a wheezing sound as the impact of her fist against his face carried him into the air, his body rotating once before descending and rolling across the ground, the knife he'd attempted to draw skittering away across the rooftop!

Unfortunately, this brief moment of distraction gave Caster her chance to disengage. Even as her barrier shattered, the small, pale girl retreated swiftly, drifting to her Master's side as Yukihiro, knocked senseless, attempted to get up.

"You won't escape, Caster!" cried Saber.

And then-

A brilliant beam of light erupted from below. In an instant, everything else seemed to fade away. The world went quiet. The glowing, blazing light tore into the night sky. Nothing else made a sound. Nothing else even registered as existing. It was simply a blaze like sunlight that pierced the heavens in a single instant, before fading away.

In that instant, Caster took ahold of her disabled Master's shoulder, and they were gone.

"Ah, Caster, but…"

Had that beam been…?

"Lancer!" cried Tsubaki, rushing to the end of the rooftop to look down. Caster had escaped, but if she was here no longer, then… then she'd failed, hadn't she? Ai emerged from the doorway as well, following Tsubaki to the edge of the roof.

If Lancer was in trouble…

Saber took a running start, and leapt from the roof.

* * *

Pain reverberated through his skull. For a moment, all he'd seen was a brilliant flash, but now his vision was returning to him.

That bitch… that bitch Tsubaki had punched him! And then Caster had run away?! Damn it, they'd been so close, hadn't they? Caster had said they were close to success, close to victory, close to killing every single damn person in Minami City! So why had they fled?! Couldn't she have just summoned more Dead in order to kill or defend from those stupid bitches while she kept Saber at a distance?! Isn't that all she needed to do?!

Yukihiro didn't even recognize where they'd gone! It was some dark room, somewhere… but it wasn't his basement, that was for sure. Why was it so damn cold down here, anyway?!

"Caster?!" he stood up, even though his head was throbbing. He could barely see anything, too… suddenly, a sliver of light appeared, illuminating the room just enough for him to see his Servant. Slowly, it grew, revealing that wherever they were it was largely made of stone. "Where are we!? Why did you run!? We were so close!"

"Saber broke my barrier, and the two Masters had arrived. With Berserker and Lancer below, there was simply too great of a risk that we would die. I'm certain you'd rather have another chance to succeed, wouldn't you~?" she said, smiling sweetly.

"… Hmph."

He didn't like it, but it was hard to argue with Caster's logic. He'd so badly wanted to watch those girls suffer… that Saber, too. She was beautiful, so beautiful he just wanted to ruin it. But she was a Servant, so he'd have to settle for the emotional pain she'd feel on watching her Master die. Ah… even with the pain in his skull, the anger he felt at his failure, the thoughts of those bitches dying brought him nothing but happiness.

Caster simply watched him in silence, as his excitement grew. Sure, they'd retreated for now, but next time… next time they would win. His Servant just had to be more careful and covert. Just put the runes in places that were harder to get to, that would do it, wouldn't it? Aaah, he so badly wanted to make everyone, especially those bitches, suffer and die before becoming his thralls, corpses under his command!

The thought filled him with joy. Seeing those dead faces, unquestioningly following his every order… Tsubaki and Matsushita, unblinking, their bodies slowly going frrm beautiful and cute to rotted and decrepit husks… they wouldn't be able to fight him, to say anything against him, to say no to any command he gave. Even as their looks faded, he'd keep them, until their corpses collapsed into nothing but dust. It didn't matter at that point if they looked like they did when they were alive. Not one bit. It mattered that he knew how much they would have hated to be used as his slaves in life. The fact that they would despise it so thoroughly was enough to make him desire to use their bodies until there was nothing left but dust.

It was only fitting.

"… Heh… even if we failed this time… I can't wait until the next chance!" he cried.

"Oh?" Caster said, in a wondering tone.

"Of course!" Yukihiro declared, "We got this close this time, so there's no question we'll succeed when we try again! I can't wait, I can't wait to see the horror on their faces, the pain! I want to see them cry and piss themselves with fear as they die! Won't that be wonderful!? You think so too, don't you!?"

Caster was silent for a moment, so Yukihiro simply continued. She had to want to hear more, didn't she?

"Hehehe… Hey, Caster, maybe we should grab someone tonight? I don't care who," he continued, "Maybe a little girl or something… See how long she can last! I've been imagining all kinds of things I could do to someone if you used your magecraft to keep them alive for as long as possible… hehe…"

He spread his arms wide, eyes wild.

"This is a whole new world of death! This is the kind of thing any other killer could only dream about!" he felt giddy. Even if they'd failed tonight, there was all kinds of things they could do together! The pain and terror they could cause, the murders they could commit…!

"There won't be a next time, 'Master'."

There was a flash of green light.

For a moment, something felt… wrong. His right arm felt… strange, oddly warm, especially his shoulder. Then the pain struck. He let out a scream of agony. Why… why did it hurt?!

When Yukihiro's eyes fell on his right arm, lying on the floor in a pool of blood, it became obvious. Clutching at the stump attached to his right shoulder, the boy howled as he fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

"You made a great deal of assumptions about me, 'Master'~" said Caster, cheerfully, smiling, as she approached him. The agony was overwhelming, but even now, he managed to speak, even through the pain and confusion…

"Y-y-you… bitch... you… I'm your Master!" he snarled, trembling on the ground as he felt warm blood on his fingers. This time, it was his own.

"Of course, you summoned me," Caster replied, still smiling brightly, "But that didn't mean I felt any loyalty towards you. In fact, from the moment I saw you, covered in that girl's blood, I knew…"

She stood over him, as he shook.

"… That you were the type of man I hated the most~"

Yukihiro couldn't understand what was happening. Caster… Caster hated him? But why? Weren't the kindred souls? The perfect match? Before now, she had went along with each and everyone one of his desires. She'd happily cooperated with his plan to kill everyone in Minami! She'd even volunteered that spell of hers in order to slaughter everyone and raise them as her minions! So why… why did she…

"From that look on your face, I can tell you're confused~" she continued, picking up his limp arm. On it were all three command seals, "Which is hilarious~ Did you think I was incapable of lying, 'Master'?"

He stared in shock, unable to articulate himself. The bloodloss, the pain, the confusion… his Servant… his Servant had hated him? His Servant had been lying to him?"

"Y-you… you…" he trailed off.

"For example," Caster added, looking the severed arm over as she did, "Tonight, when I said I had to get high up for my spell? That was a lie~ There never was any such spell in the first place! Sure, I could poison everyone with a bounded field, but I didn't want to at all~"

"Y-you… you bitch… you…" he quivered on the ground, trying to get to his knees, "Y-you'll… y-you'll fade away when I die! You'll fade into nothing!"

"… Oh? Is that what you think?" she asked, tilting her head, "That's cute~ I planned for that, too~ I found someone far more worthy of these~"

Caster held Yukihiro's severed arm out, gesturing to the command seals.

"It's funny… you thought this whole time you'd killed that girl, didn't you?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

That girl… Yumimura Saori? What was she talking about? Of course she was dead! Caster had even taken the… taken the body…

Yukihiro heard someone approaching from behind.

"… Ah, there she is. Yukihiro, you're not a murderer at all~" Caster said, cheerfully.

On his knees, blood still trickling from his right shoulder, the boy turned, wide-eyed.

Standing there, alive, was Yumimura Saori. Her dark hair was messy and disheveled, her clothing, too, was dislodged. But there was no sign of the injuries he'd inflicted on her. But that wasn't all… her cute, pretty face had flecks of red around the mouth. Her eyes… her eyes were bright red… But they'd been brown before, they'd been…

"C-Caster…" came Saori's voice, hoarse and weak, "I… I smell blood… is this… did you bring me… something to drink…?"

"Of course, Master~" declared the pale girl brightly, "I brought you a meal~ This one should give you your full strength back, fufufu~ And after you're done, I brought you a little present, too~"

"… I… th-thank you… I…

Yukihiro shook with fear. He'd… he hadn't checked if Saori was dead. But she had to be, didn't she? Those red eyes… those eyes were…

… The eyes of a Dead Apostle… a vampire…

Caster had turned the dying Yumimura Saori into a vampire, to save her life.

Yumimura Saori sprang towards him.

Natsuki Yukihiro screamed.


	6. Chapter 6

Lancer lowered her weapon, the point aiming directly at her enemy. Berserker was massive, a man far beyond human proportions. She had no idea who he could be, and what he was capable of. But she was a knight, and she had vowed to hold Berserker off. Her goal was not to kill, that would be a far more dangerous effort. Rather, she had to keep him away from the others. She had to provide a distraction.

As the others departed towards the building, she lowered her lance and sprinted forward. With an unearthly roar, Berserker barreled towards her! She had his attention, that was what she needed! His golden axes swung down as she darted in, but rather than attacking, Lancer used the side of her cavalry lance to take the blow!

Almost immediately, she felt immense strength rock her arms, her body jolting from the sheer shock of the impact. When Berserker pressed down, she could feel the concrete beneath her fracturing. This strength… it was unreal! So this was the power of Berserker!?

"… Eh? Only one of you? And I didn't want to have to fight…" she heard the little girl who was Berserker's Master say. "… I don't really understand, but I guess Berserker will have to take you on!"

The way the girl spoke, it was like she didn't understand the situation. Not really. Not only that she didn't know what Caster was doing, but that she didn't understand the Grail War as a whole. Straining under the power of Berserker's blow, Lancer had no choice but to disengage, springing back. The axes fell on the spot where she had stood moments before, smashing the concrete to pieces in an instant. The blonde knight glanced towards the skeletal soldiers. They weren't participating, however. Did Berserker have some sense of honor, pertaining to a one on one battle, even in his current state?

There came that unearthly roar once more, and the huge, hulking figure was charging! This time, rather than attempting to block, Lancer threw herself to the side! Berserker's axes buried themselves in the concrete, and for the briefest moment the knight saw an opening! If she could injure the enemy Servant, that would surely keep him away from the others, wouldn't it?!

Lowering her lance to aim at the enormous man's leg, she darted forward. If the tip of her lance made contact… that was all she needed!  
But moments before her lance made contact, one of those golden axes swept outwards in an arc! Forced to raise her own weapon defensively, the sheer impact of the glimmering axeblade made when it struck her cavalry lance was enough to send her skidding backwards across the ground, sparks flying up as her armored feet scraped across the concrete!

Berserker's physical strength was enormous, and bolstered by his mad enhancement. On top of that, while his attacks likely did not display the full measure of his skill, it seemed as if he retained enough of himself to be able to effectively attack and defend!

Lancer would have to display the utmost caution, but she also needed to continue to capture the attention of the enemy Servant. If he chose to attack the building, it could be deadly to her Master and Matsushita.

"I am your opponent, Berserker!" she called to the massive figure, as he wrenched the second of his axes free from the concrete, "No-one else!"

There came that unearthly roar again, and soon the huge, dark figure was charging towards her without another moment of hesitation! She had to focus on evasion, but any moment of opportunity was crucial as well. If she could injure Berserker, she had to take the chance!

The enormous man roared again, letting out that unearthly sound once more as he charged. Thankfully, he did not seem to possess particularly high agility. If nothing else, while his strength was incredible, he was at least possible to outpace. Lancer awaited the moment of his attack, before suddenly darting to the side, cavalry lance raised to strike!

But before she could, suddenly there came Berserker's second axe, the gleaming weapon tearing towards her! Frantically, forced to spin in place, the blonde knight brought her lance up to serve as a shield, if only for a moment! But she took the full force of Berserker's blow, lifted off of her feet as the impact rocked her body and sent her careening through the air! She landed on her back with a gasp, sparks flying from her armor scraping along the concrete.

This time, Berserker was swift, quick to catch up to the fallen Lancer-class Servant! His axes were raised as he let out another roar, swinging them downwards at her! But Lancer was quick to respond, rolling once to avoid the blow, the massive weapons slamming into the ground and cratering it in an instant. As she rolled, Lancer caught herself, her cavalry lance swung to the side as she forced herself up onto her feet, ducking low.

She was now several meters away from the hulking form of Berserker. Above, she could hear the sounds of shattering glass, and Caster's blasts of mana. Saber was making her way upwards, but she still had to buy more time!

"You just keep dodging…" came the little girl's voice again, "That's going to fail eventually against Berserker! He's super strong, Berserker is the best!"

She was talking as if this was some kind of game. Berserker's Master… who was she? Alysvial von Einzbern? A little girl, smaller even then Saber's Master, in charge of a hulking monster like Berserker. Who had entered such a frail child into a vicious conflict like the Holy Grail War? A battle that it was clear the child didn't fully understand?

"Um… you can still surrender, and I can ask Berserker to make it hurt a lot less!" she called again. Lancer was almost in disbelief of the way that the little girl spoke so sincerely. She was asking this as if it was perfectly normal for the situation.

"… Even disregarding how foolish that is, there is no way I would surrender," Lancer replied, blue eyes fixed on Berserker's hulking form, "I am a knight, and I am a Servant fighting for my Master. This body exists for these purposes!"

With another roar, Berserker charged for her! Rather than attempting to attack, this time Lancer simply waited until he was close before evading. All she had to do was keep him preoccupied, so she adjusted her strategy. Attacking only if she knew she would be able to land the blow was the only course of action given her current situation!

But as she evaded, she was greeted with an enormous, tree-trunk-like leg swinging towards her! Taken by surprised, Lancer took the blow head on. Even with her armor, she felt like she'd been taken the charge of a raging hippogriff head-on! All the air was knocked from her lungs as she went hurling back, slamming into the ground with a strangled cry of pain! Before she could right herself, she suddenly felt a wave of heat as green flames erupted from Berserker's mouth, spewing towards her, washing over the concrete!

Eyes widening, Lancer rolled, feeling the flames licking at her arming, singing her cape as she did. She used the tip of her lance to right herself, burying it in the ground to force herself up. Berserker was already charging…!

"Um… but can't you see what a difference there is, now? Berserker's the best!" she heard Alysvial's voice calling to her. She was still trying to convince her to surrender?! There was no denying that the hulking figure was incredibly strong, but if she was more prepared…!

This time she darted back and to the side, evading another downwards blow and followup kick from Berserker!

Strength wasn't everything. While Berserker's physical prowess was enormous, the same could not be said for his agility. If she kept her wits about her, and continued to hold his attention, she would be able to give her Master and her allies plenty of time to defeat Caster and her Master! By this point, Saber had to have reached the roof and engaged Caster directly. She had to give the girl samurai more time, to bring the battle to an end!

As Berserker charged again, this time, Lancer shut her eyes. She could hear every thundering step, cracking the concrete beneath him. Mana flowed through her very being, drifting up the surface of her lance, coating it in a brilliant golden glow. She needed more to keep going against him. Lancer needed to display her full capabilities!

Berserker's axes swung downwards, tearing through the air towards her. The blonde knight's blazing weapon swung up to meet them, and-  
There was a brilliant flash of light. The mana she had guided into her weapon, blazing up its length, suddenly began to swirl along the cavalry lance in a localized storm of magical energy!

The enemy Servant, Berserker, he was suddenly losing ground!

"Ah? Berserker is being pushed back?!" she heard the little girl cry over the roar of her weapon.

And with that… Lancer let it loose! The blast of mana erupted from around her lance, and Berserker was sent skidding backwards with a groan, grinding through the concrete on his feet! She'd knocked the huge man back! It was only for a moment, he'd catch himself quickly, but for that split second she had knocked that enormous figure back!

"This brilliant light of divine intervention… let it pierce my foe!" cried the blonde knight, swinging her lance downwards, aiming the point at the reeling Berserker. Even if it didn't strike true, she didn't need it to! The light flowing across her lance blazed brilliantly, and with a sound like a ringing bell, it released!

Flowing across her weapon, it erupted forward in a thin beam, blazing off into the night sky! Berserker, who had recovered enough to move his huge frame from the direct path of the blast, was still sent off balance once more! It wasn't her Noble Phantasm, but it was a release of a measure of the power she invested into it! It may not have even done serious damage to Berserker, had it struck, but that wasn't what she needed!

She needed to keep his attention fully, entirely, on her! And what better way to keep such a keep the attention of a raging warrior then with a show of power?! She was certain, more than anything else, the most important thing in such a mad warrior's mind would be strength. But it wasn't simply to keep Berserker's attention. No, she had to be aware of his Master as well. If Alysvial concluded that this battle wasn't as important, it was possible she'd send Berserker after Saber, or the Masters. Lancer simply couldn't allow such a thing to happen!

Berserker caught himself, no worse for wear. Her attack had barely missed him, he had only just managed to step out of the way of the brilliant beam of golden magical energy. But it had succeeded in exactly the manner she wanted to. There was no way anything else would take Berserker's attention now. If she'd landed the blow, of course, that would have been for the best. Even if it had failed to do serious injury to the hulking behemoth of a man, having been intended more for flash and distraction then to do damage, it would still have caused him some measure of harm.

But ultimately, the attack had done its job: Berserker's attention was wholly on her.

Now Lancer had to keep it there and prevent herself from taking any more hits. The pain was still radiating through her abdomen from the kick she had taken. Even through her armor, it had managed to cause her harm. Berserker's incredible strength was not only from his massive body, but from the effects of his Mad Enhancement. At the expense of his sanity, he gained even greater physical capabilities!

The massive warrior roared once more. He was readying himself for another charge… she had to be prepared…!

Without warning, something descended from the building, landing several meters away at the base of the building! For a split second, Lancer was able to see that it was Saber, her black scarf fluttering in the wind before she erupted forward in a blinding burst of speed! The glass behind her shattered, the backdraft ripping through the plaza as she appeared beside Berserker in almost an instant!

And then, just as quickly, she was slapped away. Saber went hurtling through the air, crashing through the glass. When she hit the ground, Lancer saw her spit blood before rolling onto her front.

But that wasn't all.

Berserker was bleeding.

"Ah? Berserker? You're hurt?!" cried Alysvial, running over to the huge, hulking figure. Indeed, a deep cut had sliced cleanly through one of his massive arms, to the bone. Saber hadn't simply injured him, she had nearly severed Berserker's right hand completely, "Y-you… Berserker was being fair and fighting one-on-one! Ambushing him like that was dirty, and I was trying to be so nice to you too!"

There was no further time to be bewildered at the behavior of Berserker's Master, as the little girl attempted to look over the bleeding gash, concerned.

Lancer sprinted through the broken window, to her downed ally's side. But even as she made her way there, the girl samurai was already struggling to her feet, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Even as Saber forced her shaking legs to steady, she raised her blade parallel to her head.

"I… I can still fight, Lancer! We'll defeat him together!" she declared. While Lancer had no doubts that Saber would recover, she had taken the blow directly and did not wear any sort of armor. Even for a Servant, such a strong attack, especially from another of their nature, could be temporarily crippling. And yet, even shaking with effort, Saber was back on her feet.

"Saber, you took an incredibly powerful blow, you must at least allow yourself a moment!" she insisted, "I will be able to continue fending off Berserker!"

"No… this body… this body exists to fight to the end," replied Saber, her voice wavering from the pain. Even for a Servant, fractured or broken bones were agonizing. The girl stepped forward, "If I don't, isn't it possible that he could attack my Master?"

"Saber…"

Berserker wailed, stepping forward, blood trickling down his injured arm as he raised his axes. The skeleton army readied their weapons, clearly displeased that the one-on-one battle had been interrupted.

And then…

There were sirens. The modern law enforcement had clearly caught wind of something going on. At this point, how could they have missed it? No matter how isolated the Tachibana building was, the battle had hardly been a subtle one.

"Ah? Oh, we're not supposed to be seen…" Alysvial looked back over her shoulder. Wordlessly, the hulking man picked her up in one hand, the skeletal soldiers dissipating into green mist as he turned and departed into the darkness of the night, vanishing from view.

For a few moments, Saber remained there, trembling as she panted heavily. Then, she faltered, going down onto one knee.

"Saber, you… you must remain still, until your Master can tend to your wounds," Lancer said, kneeling beside her fellow warrior. It was the only solution she could think of. Saber had managed to injure Berserker, but at the cost of taking such a strong blow head-on…  
She heard a door open behind them.

"… S-Saber?!"

Matsushita's soft voice was instantly recognizable, and soon the small girl had made her way towards them, kneeling beside her Servant.

"I-I'm… I'm okay, Master… I can keep going," responded the girl with silver-gold eyes, even as it was clear blood was staining her kimono and trickling out of her mouth, dripping onto the floor beneath her.

"Lancer? What happened?!" came her Master's voice, as Tsubaki hurried into view. As Matsushita desperately tended to her Servant, the blonde knight stood and turned to face the tanned girl. The sirens were growing ever closer…

"Saber was able to take Berserker by surprise," she reported, "At the cost of taking a direct blow to her body. I… cannot be certain, but I believe the blow cracked her ribcage."

Indeed, Lancer had no specific expertise when it came to such matters. But the blood from Saber's mouth, the location in which she had been struck… a damaged ribcage seemed likely. Thankfully, as a Servant, Saber's body could restore itself more easily than a human's, especially with Matsushita's assistance and some rest, but…

"Law enforcement is approaching, I believe they may have caught wind of the battle," Lancer added, "To maintain the secrecy of the Grail War, we'll have to move."

"… That's fine, then… I'm okay," Saber said, breathing somewhat ragged as she got to her feet. She was no longer bleeding, but she didn't seem steady on her feet, "I'll… just carry Master back home…"

"S-Saber, y-you… I-I couldn't heal it all yet, y-you shouldn't strain yourself!" protested Matsushita, "I… I d-don't want to see you keep hurting yourself or something like that…"

"I-I'm fine…"

The sirens were getting closer.

With a deep breath, Lancer suddenly scooped Saber into her arms. Certainly, they would end up as enemies, but as honorable foes. And for now, they were allies. Lancer felt nothing but respect for the samurai, and so she hardly wanted to see her injure herself by insisting on trying to move on her own. Such an act was foolish… but it was another reason to respect Saber, as well. The resolve she exhibited even after taking a direct blow that certainly had injured her internally.

It was the sort of resolve that a Heroic Spirit should display.

But Lancer had to assist her ally however she could.

To put it simply, Lancer intended to carry Saber all the way back, no matter what the surprised swordswoman said.

She remembered the way back to the Matsushita residence.

* * *

Saber's eyes slowly opened. Her body… it felt strange. The pain was gone, but it was replaced with a warm sensation, almost throbbing, throughout her entire body. It took a moment for her to realize just where she was. She was laying in her Master's bed…? After a few moments, she slowly sat up. Indeed, all she felt was that continued warmth, gently throbbing through her chest and limbs. Rubbing her eyes, and glancing towards the window, she noticed that there was light… it was morning, at least. The next thing she noticed was that her Master was in a chair nearby, fast asleep. Ah… had she spent all night healing her?

… She didn't need to do that…

It wasn't as if Saber wasn't thankful, but was that really good for her Master? Expending so much energy to heal her Servant…

As the blankets fell away from her body, Saber realized she'd had her kimono opened, her upper body exposed, albeit her chest concealed by a sarashi. Her cheeks colored only faintly, the samurai realizing that it was obvious her Master had done so in order to heal her better. Still, it was kind of embarrassing… Adjusting her disheveled clothing, Saber slowly got out of bed, trying not to disturb her Master.

The injury to her shoulder, too, had healed… After a few moments, the silvery-haired girl made her way to her Master's side, and patted her on the head.

"Thanks," she whispered, with a smile, "But you just sit tight and keep sleeping, okay?"

She was tempted to try and move her to the bed, but at the same time she didn't want to do anything to wake her. After a few moments of hesitation, she decided to leave her Master alone and head for the shower instead. Slowly, the warm throbbing sensation through her entire body was fading, leaving her feeling… well, fairly normal. Her Master really had stayed up all night healing her, hadn't she?

She'd have to thank her again when she woke up!

But for now, it really felt like a refreshing shower was the way to go. Saber entered the bathroom and slid off her kimono entirely, removing her toeless socks as well, before finally unwrapping her sarashi. Each item, as it was removed, dissipated into drifting pink lights.

Showers were nice. While ultimately Saber felt as if she enjoyed the experience of bathing in a hot spring more, standing there with the water running down her body felt kind of serene. Showers were definitely a great invention of the modern era, that was for certain. She reached into the glass stall and started the water, pausing for a moment to give it a chance to heat up.

When she next felt the water, it was nice and warm, and the pale girl stepped inside. Ah, it felt so nice… rivulets of warm water running down her bare skin, soaking into her hair, warming her entire body in an instant…

Of course, as the shower warmed Saber's body more and more, her mind began to drift to the previous night. Caster and her Master had escaped. There was no way to get around that fact. She couldn't understand why someone recorded as a heroic spirit would perform such horrible actions. It wasn't as if she believed it was impossible for a malevolent figure to be summoned as a Servant. Rather, she couldn't fathom what seemed like evil for evil's sake. Slaughtering an entire town… for what? It was cruelty, and pointless cruelty at that. But on the other hand, Natsuki Yukihiro's plan had been crushed. Not only had the bounded field been removed, but they had been unable to use their backup plan, as well.

No matter what strange plots Caster seemed to be thinking up, there was no way she'd be so foolish as to try that again! They'd track Caster down and put an end to her for good, next time, now that they knew exactly who her Master was and what her capabilities were!

Sure, it was painful that they failed to slay Caster right then and there, but in terms of preventing her from hurting innocent people, Saber was counting this one as a big victory!

Of course, that was hardly the only thing that had happened the previous night… they had encountered the final Servant, the last enemy that had remained unknown until that point. Berserker was an enormous, hulking man, far larger than anyone Saber had ever seen in life. His dark skintone could indicate the region he had come from, but even that wasn't certain. He'd been so strong… even after she'd cut through his arm like that, he'd been able to retaliate and slap her way. At the memory of the pain that had shook her entire body, Saber placed a hand to her chest, just below her breasts. She had felt her ribcage crack, almost caving in entirely, from the sheer force of the blow. But that hadn't mattered. It was for her Master, and for the sake of fighting to the end. As long as she could stand up, she was going to fight.

Even if she couldn't stand, she'd find some way this time.

Still, Berserker was an incredibly powerful opponent, a man of tremendous physical might. On top of that, he seemed capable of calling skeletal warriors to serve him, as demonstrated by the archers and the other soldiers who had appeared. At the moment, as she began to soap up her smooth, pale skin carefully, the girl samurai simply had no idea who Berserker could possibly be at this point. Assassin and Rider's identities were now known(Rider had happily declared who she was almost immediately after her arrival, even) but as for the others Saber simply couldn't figure it out.

But that didn't matter! She'd do her best and defeat her enemies, for her Master!

Though… Berserker's Master had been strange. A little girl, smaller and more fragile even then Ai herself, who approached the battle as if she truly did not understand it. As if asking for the lives of the other Servants was bound to be successful.

Being honest with herself, it was hard for Saber to view such an innocent child as an enemy. Even if she commanded the hulking monster that was Berserker, the huge man that had nearly shattered her ribcage… it was blatantly clear to the girl samurai that Alysvail von Einzbern didn't truly understand the situation she had found herself in. Why would someone push such a young girl to enter the war? A child who truly believed asking nicely would allow her to win?

Frankly, Saber felt as if defeating Berserker would lead to the girl's safety rather than anything else. She would no longer have to participate in the battle known as the Holy Grail War.

But Berserker was a powerful foe, as she had learned first-hand. Defeating him would be no easy task.

But Saber was confident in herself. She'd find a way! Lancer would be willing to help, too, after all!

She was ripped from her thoughts, however, when the shower door opened.

"A-ah?"

Looking back over her shoulder, the silvery-haired girl caught sight of the small, brown-haired form of her Master, in the doorway. Her cheeks were bright red, and Saber could feel heat creeping into her own as well.

"U-um… um… um…" for a few moments, all the small girl could do was mumble weakly, fidgeting and staring at her. "I… I… I… I was worried…"

"Master…?" Saber turned to face her Master, who blushed deeper and looked away. After a moment's pause, the small girl began to speak again.

"I-I was worried! Y-you… you passed out in Lancer's arms… I… I could… wh-when I was healing you I could feel the fractures and breaks in your bones, a-and… I was worried you'd die…"

"Ah… eh-heh, no wonder I didn't remember getting into bed," Saber replied, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. Lancer had carried her all the way back? She'd have to thank her… "But… Master, I'm a Servant. I'll take more then that to take me out of the war!"

"Th-that's not the point!" cried Ai, suddenly, "I… y-you… I-I'm sorry…"

Her gaze drifted downwards as she trailed off, and for a few moments all that could be heard was the running water from Saber's shower.

"… Master, thank you for healing me," said the swordswoman, with a smile. She didn't completely understand her Master's words, but she knew that she had worried the small brunette quite a bit by becoming so injured. Even with her status as a Servant that allowed her to recover from injuries far more serious than a human could survive, her Master still worried so much. She'd kind of messed up, anyway, hadn't she…? "You say all these things about being a bad Master, but then you spend all night making sure I'm alright. There's no way anyone like that could be called a bad Master."

"A-ah… ah… hawawa… u-um…" Ai fidgeted, eyes darting from side to side as she nervously quivered, "I-I-I c-came to ch-check on y-you s-so um… um…"

"Well, I'm fine, eh-heh… but it's kind of embarrassing being checked on in the shower, even if we're both girls," replied Saber. Indeed, while it wasn't like she had never been to a communal bath or anything before, her Master barging in on her like this was embarrassing. Somehow, even more so then she had expected. She could feel the heat in her cheeks from a constant blush that didn't subside, and that likely had something to do with the fact that Saber could see her Master's eyes continuously drifting to her body. Given some of the things that Ai had said before, she was starting to wonder…

"A-ah, um, I-I'll do it f-from outside! I'll, um… um… s-sorry!"

Before Saber could decide how to react, her Master had already shut the bathroom door, and once again the platinum blonde girl was left alone with the sound of the running water, as steam rose around her and rivulets ran down her smooth, pale skin.

"A-ah, Master, I didn't…" she raised one hand weakly. Her Master was so easily flustered, she hadn't met to send her running like that. At least the water was still hot and comfortable, though… the heat was seeping through her whole body. After something like last night, this was nice… she'd try and make it clear what she'd meant to her Master after she came out of the shower!

The girl samurai resumed scrubbing at herself. At least, until she heard Ai's muffled voice through the door, to her surprise.

"Hey, Saber…" she heard Ai say, "I'm… I-I'm glad the Servant I summoned was someone like you…"

"Eh? What do you mean, Master?" Saber asked. She wasn't entirely certain how Ai meant it. She'd said something like it before, and while being appreciated certainly made Saber happy, it wasn't entirely clear what her Master meant. Aside from the awkward comments on her appearance and things like that…

"U-um… it's just that…" Ai's voice trailed off for a few moments, "I-It's… I was scared when I did the summoning… I-I thought I was going to get someone big and scary who just cared about fighting… b-but instead I g-got someone who… wh-who can fight, and is s-so skilled, and fast… a-and… and…"

She trailed off again. Saber didn't say anything. She was simply going to let Ai talk. Big and scary, huh? She'd assumed something like that… It was pretty far from what Saber herself was like.

"A-and pretty…" Ai finally managed to continue, "Y-you're… s-so pretty b-but that's not r-really all! Um… you're… you're nice… you're really nice, and you care about me even if I don't deserve it, and you think I'm a good Master no matter how much I say I'm not… I think… I think for once I was lucky, Saber."

Now it was Saber's turn to fall into uncertain silence. For once, her Master was lucky… If she could make her Master feel that way, that was a good thing, wasn't it? Of course, no matter how flustered and confused Saber became over the praise of her looks… this was more than that. Her Master truly appreciated having summoned her. Knowing something like that, Saber was even more certain she'd never stop giving one hundred percent. She found herself blushing, as well… it wasn't exactly unexpected to feel embarrassed, not after her Master gave her that sort of glowing praise.

"… Well…" Saber began, "I'm glad I can make you feel that way, Master! I might be here to fight, but even serving you by making you feel happier… knowing I can do that makes me happy, too. It's important, as a Servant, knowing that my Master feels that way about having summoned me. Thank you!"

She smiled brightly. Even if her Master couldn't see it, she wanted to the small brunette to know how she felt about that.

"… Th-that's…. that's good, Saber…" said Ai.

For several moments, the only sound that could hear was the running water, once more. Then…

"… Berserker's really scary…" came her Master's voice once more.

"… Yeah, he's so huge I couldn't believe he was a human in life, at first!" responded Saber. It was just what she'd been thinking about not long before Ai walked in on her. The enormous man that was Berserker was so big he almost seemed completely inhuman, and the fact that he could summon a skeleton army seemed to drive that feeling home.

"And… and he hurt you pretty badly…" added Ai, through the door. "I hope… I don't w-want to see something like that again…"

"Don't worry, you won't!" asserted Saber. She felt confident, confident that she wouldn't let Berserker land another blow on her like that. She'd even hurt him! So if she just kept away from his swings, or fought him alongside Lancer, they'd be sure to win, wouldn't they? "I just need to be more careful! We have Lancer, too, so I'm sure we'll figure something out! There's no way I'd let that happen again!"

"Saber…" she heard her Master say, softly, "…You never stop being so optimistic. Berserker's so big and strong, but you keep acting like this… it makes me feel more confident then I thought was possible."

"Eh-heheh… I'm glad!" responded Saber, happily. She didn't have any reason to feel anything less than confident in herself, after all. Even against Berserker, who was pretty scary, she felt like she'd find some way to emerge victorious, somehow! She just had to think of how! "I guess it's just because… if I just work things out and try hard, I think I can make it through."

"Wow… you're really an amazing person, Saber…"

"E-eh?"

Ai didn't respond for a short while, after that, and Saber began to scrub herself once more. As the soapy water ran down her body, she heard Ai speak once more.

"… Saber… what was your family like?"

"Ah? My family?" Saber asked. Why was her Master asking something like that so suddenly? Why was her Master asking something like that so suddenly? She didn't really mind, honestly, but she also wasn't entirely certain about why she was being asked in such an abrupt fashion. "Er… well…"

The pale girl paused for a moment, still cleaning herself up as she did, now on to her silvery hair.

"Well… my Mother and Father always treated me well. Father was strict, but fair. My older sisters babied me a lot when I was younger, but I really looked up to my adopted brother," Saber began, looking thoughtful as she spoke, "Rintaro-niisan was a big inspiration for me when I was growing up!"

Memories filled Saber's mind. Ah… her early days of training were filled with nostalgia! She could recall seeing her adopted brother's training when she was very young. She'd already had aspirations when it came to her skills with a sword, but when she saw Rintaro's training… well, there was no way she was ever going to let those dreams go.

"But it's not just my birth family I felt that way about," Saber continued, smiling as she began to rinse her hair off, soapy water washing down the drain, "The Shinsengumi were like my family, too!"

"They… they were?" asked Ai's voice from beyond the door.

"That's right!" replied Saber, brightly, "They all felt like brothers to me. I felt like I had a big, extended family back then. Even Hijikata-san, no matter how scary he was, felt like a big brother to me!"

Hijikata Toshizo had been a scary man, that was for certain. And he'd been way too into those pickled radishes. And he was… well… way too into love affairs… there was a lot that wasn't necessarily the best about Hijikata Toshizo, but Saber still felt like he was a friend and brother to her in life.

"Keisuke-niisan never got along with him, though," she continued. Memories of Yamanami Keisuke's last moments flashed through her mind, briefly, and she trailed off, her smile fading and her eyes downcast. "… Keisuke-niisan…"

For a few moments, she was silent.

"… U-um… I… I didn't upset you, did I, Saber…?" said Ai's voice.

"… N-no, I… I just… remembered something," Saber said, shaking her head as she tried to focus on brighter, happier things. She was supposed to be talking to her Master about her family, it wouldn't do any good to dwell on things like that…

"Um… Kondo-sama! Kondo-sama was a really upstanding and trustworthy person!" said the girl samurai, to keep her mind moving away from more painful matters. "Personally, I felt like Kondo-sama was one of the most trustworthy people in the entire Shinsengumi! He made for a great leader, that's for certain!"

She nodded to herself. Unlike Hijikata, who was the scary type of friend, Kondo Isami had always been a comforting and leaderly type. One of the many reasons she had become part of the Shinsengumi was out of feelings of loyalty to the man. At no point had those feelings ever faltered.

"… Since you asked me about my family, I'm kind of curious about yours now, Master!" declared Saber. Finished rinsing herself clean of soap, the girl samurai stepped out of the shower and shut the water off, grasping one of the fuzzy towels from the rack as she began to dry herself, starting with her hair.

"M-my family? I… ah…" Ai trailed off, falling entirely silent. As she vigorously dried her hair, Saber tilted her head in some confusion.

"Master?" she asked.

"… My… my parents… aren't here anymore…" replied the short brunette, morosely.

Saber stopped dead where she was standing.

"… Oh… I… I see… I'm… I'm sorry Master, I…" the silvery-eyed girl fell silent herself, for a moment. She hadn't meant to upset Ai, she'd hadn't known. Ai could have simply lived in this mansion on her own with her parents living elsewhere, as far as she was aware. "… I didn't know. I didn't want to upset you…"

"… No… it's okay," said Ai, in a somewhat lighter tone, "It was ten years ago, now… It's not like I'm okay with it but… it's been a while now, I guess…"

Even with her Master's reassurance, Saber didn't exactly feel any better about it. Ai still seemed like she was unhappy to be talking about her family. And yet, she didn't stop.

"… Mother and Father were pretty strict…" said her Master, "So… so I they were kind of like your father, I guess… eh-heh… They wanted me to grow up to be the best possible magus I could. They wanted me to carry on the Matsushita family legacy…"

"So they were focused on your training more than anything else?" Saber asked. It really did remind her of her father. He'd been fair, but he'd also been quite focused on her success in swordplay. For a brief moment, the samurai wondered if he'd have been as close to her if she'd been more like her older sisters in terms of her ambitions. He'd clearly cared for her, but…

"… I don't know if I'd say that…" Ai responded, "I… think they wanted me to succeed so that I could be a good magus, too. So that I could have a good place in our organization, and the rest of the Mage Association… Too bad I haven't done anything to make them proud, eh-heh…"

"You haven't?" asked Saber, as she finished drying herself off. In a flurry of cherry blossom petal lights, her clothing appeared on her body once more, her hair even tying itself back up into a ponytail. "You're participating in the Holy Grail War, aren't you? I'm not going to say I know a lot about magi, but isn't that a big deal?"

"Ah… I…" for a few moments, Ai simply fell silent. It took her a while to respond, and Saber approached the door. "… I… One of the reasons I agreed to become a participant in the war… it… it was because I wanted to do something that would make them proud. So… s-so if… if they were still here… when they… wh-when they looked at me they could be happy to have me as their daughter… that's… eh-heh… it's… it's pretty foolish, isn't it, participating in a life or death battle for something like that…"

Saber opened the door. Ai, who had been sitting against the bathroom door and hugging her knees to her chest, let out a small yelp of surprise and looked back over her shoulder.

Now, Saber could see that the small brunette's gold eyes were glistening with tears.

"… I don't think it's foolish at all, Master," Saber replied, giving her a smile. It wasn't. To do something for those who came before you, to make your family proud, even if they were no longer of this world. That was a desire so many had been driven by before. For the sake of a loved one who was now deceased, to do something that they could be proud of… Saber knelt behind the smaller girl.

"You're your parents' daughter. More than anyone else, you would know what would make them proud, wouldn't you?" Saber asked, "I'm sure if they looked at you now, having summoned a skilled Saber-class Servant and doing battle in the Holy Grail War, using your magecraft to support her and defend yourself, effectively working with allies and discovering enemy plots… There's no way they wouldn't be filled with pride."

"… S-Saber… I…"

Ai turned, leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around Saber in a tight embrace. Surprised, there were a few moments where the platinum blonde girl didn't know what to do, as she felt her Master bury her face into her shoulder.

She was crying.

"… I believe in you, Master," she said, finally. After everything she'd seen so far, she trusted Ai. She wanted to make her parents proud? Then that was the purpose for which she would fight. "You place all your trust in a killer like me, telling me all these things that are so close to your heart… well, it makes me feel like I've won some kind of prize! There's no way your family isn't proud of you."

She wrapped her arms around Ai, pulling her closer as she felt tears seeping into the fabric of her kimono.

"I'm so happy I get to serve a Master like you, Matsushita Ai-san."

* * *

Saber had eventually left Ai, to allow her to shower. But not before telling her, one more time, that she felt proud to have a Master like her. Even if the small brunette still wasn't entirely certain why, those words were comforting.

She'd cried in front of her Servant like that… Not only that, but she'd sobbed right into her shoulder. For a moment, she'd been wondering what Saber must think of her now. And yet… the samurai wasn't treating her any differently. It had been nice… not the fact that she'd ended up crying, obviously, but the fact that she'd been held like that, the fact that Saber just let her cry into her shoulder and didn't say anything else for as long as the embrace lasted. She didn't need to…

Ai felt her heartrate quicken slightly. Saber had comforted her like that… Those words hadn't been empty. Even though she was a warrior right out of Japanese legend, the samurai most skilled with the sword in the Shinsengumi, she had no problem with simply comforting her Master when she was crying, and didn't treat Ai any differently afterwards.

Maybe she really was lucky, just this once.

As Ai undressed, folding her clothing neatly, and stepped into the shower to turn on the warm water, her mind began to wander.

It was obvious that school had been cancelled for the day. Not only had nearly everyone in attendance passed out, but there was strange damage to the floor in one hallway. Ai remembered that when she'd summoned Saber to her side with a command seal, a crater had been left in the floor. There was no way they were going to make anyone come in the day after something like that, even if they were all fine, medically-speaking.

Heat flowed through her tiny frame as the sound of running water filled her ears.

Ai wondered exactly how it would be explained. It wasn't like they could just say that there was some sort of attack, or anything as extreme as that. Her guess was that there was a gas leak. That was an easier explanation than anything else, and probably would seem like the only potential cause to the people in charge.

The fact that things had come so close frightened her. But they'd won. Even if Caster had escaped, they'd stopped her from casting whatever terrible spell she had been planning on utilizing. Even Caster and her Master had survived to try again, Ai felt that maybe, just maybe, they'd finally take her down this time.

Hopefully Tsubaki would have some idea about where to find the both of them.

Ai ran her fingers through her hair, soaping it up as she did, then rinsing it out after she'd cleaned it. Afterwards she began to scrub at her body, her mind wandering further.

Saber… She described herself as a killer, and yet half the time she came off as a cute and friendly schoolgirl type. She was so kind, so dedicated… Saber was the kind of person that Ai found to be amazing. On top of that, she was so… so beautiful…

Was it any wonder that Ai found her heartrate quickening whenever she thought about her Servant like this? Even now, while she showered, the short girl's thoughts lingered on her. When they'd hugged, while Ai cried, Saber had felt so warm and comforting… She'd said all of things, given her praise unconditionally even though Ai felt as if she had done nothing to deserve it. Said things like that, and honestly, completely believed them. Trusted Ai to be a good Master, even though the small brunette felt certain that she wasn't. And... by this point it couldn't be ignored that she'd seen her Servant naked twice.

She didn't want to embarrass Saber, nor did she want to be embarrassed herself, but seeing the girl samurai like that… she was just so beautiful. Her silvery hair, her almost gold eyes… her beautiful, soft features, her slim body… the shape of her figure…

Ah… these feelings, were they really…

Cheeks flushed, for a few moments Ai simply trembled as she stood silently in the shower, warm water hitting her small body. For a few moments, her mind wandered further as she thought about Saber.

For a few moments, her breathing grew heavier.

And in a few moments, there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"HAWAWAWA!"

Jolted out of her thoughts, Ai turned on her heel, legs trembling, and shouted the first thing that came to mind.

"O-O-OCCUPIED!"

It was Charlotte's flat voice that answered her.

"Ojou-sama, onee-san wanted to inform you that breakfast will be ready soon," the maid said, simply.

"Y-y-yes!" cried Ai, trembling with embarrassment. She couldn't hear anything more, but she assumed that Charlotte had left.

Ah… she'd need to finish up her shower, now…

As she gave herself a final rinse, Ai found her mind wandering to Saber once more. Was it really okay to think of Saber in that way? To feel that way about her? What would Saber say if she knew? Would she think that her Master was strange? Would she think it was disrespectful? Ai didn't know, but what she did she know there was no way she'd ever be able to talk to her Servant about it.

Ai had soon rinsed herself off, exited the shower, and dressed herself. The small brunette was still blushing with embarrassment as she left her room and began to head downstairs. She hadn't expected Charlotte to knock at the door so suddenly like that… When she reached the first floor, Saber was waiting by the dining hall.

"Do you feel any better, Master? I'm sorry if I didn't really help much," said the swordswoman, scratching the back of her head with a slightly awkward laugh.

Weakly, Ai returned the smile, and nodded. Her cheeks were still flushed, she still felt somewhat embarrassed, but there was no denying that Saber had made her feel better.

"I do… th-thank you, Saber."

"No problem! You're my Master, after all. Besides, it's just what I believe!" responded Saber cheerfully, her smile widening into a grin.

With that, the both of them headed into the long dining hall. When Saber took a seat, Ai hesitated before sitting beside her.

"Ahh, Marianne-san's cooking is amazing," commented Saber, brightly, as she looked towards the kitchen with anticipation, "It's like she was made to be the best chef ever!"

Indeed, Ai could smell the scent of the more exuberant of her maids' work in the kitchen. She could determine the scent of eggs, at the very least, and fish as well… it seemed like Marianne was going for a very traditional sort of breakfast today.

Given how good she was at cooking, there was naturally absolutely no problem with this.

Indeed, moments later, both maids appeared, carrying trays bearing freshly-grilled salted salon, rolled omelets, white rice, seasoned dried seaweed, and a pickled plum each.

"Since I tried out more western flavors a few days ago, today's the time for tradition~" declared Marianne cheerfully, as she placed her tray in front of Ai and Charlotte set her tray down in front of Saber.

"Itadakimasu!" Saber didn't hesitant for one moment, quickly picking up her chopsticks and digging in, a blissful look on her face as she rapidly consumed her breakfast. It was for the best just to try and focus on the food, right now, not anything more serious… and Marianne was watching the both of them in such an expectant way, anyway…

"Itadakimasu," Ai said, picking up her chopsticks, and… the first bite… the salmon was perfectly grilled, lightly salted to bring out the flavors. The rice was clean and delicious, the miso heavy and savory… it was what she had come to expect when it came to Marianne's cooking. That was, something almost absurdly perfect. Were Marianne's food preparation skills some sort of divine gift?!

"It's delicious as always, Marianne-san!" declared Saber cheerfully, smiling at the maid before immediately returning to her meal. Ai nodded in agreement as she ate.

"Fufufu, I could tell~" responded the energetic maid with a giggle. Charlotte, meanwhile, simply watched silently.

It wasn't long before both girls had polished off their breakfast, leaving the plates picked clean. Certainly, being out all night worked up an appetite. Ai had cleaned that plate so quickly… But not as fast as Saber, who seemed to become some sort of one-girl eating machine when food became involved. It was even more apparent when they were eating something sweet.

Saber's sweet tooth was almost as impressive as her sword skills.

As Marianne and Charlotte took the trays and plates away, Saber turned to face Ai.

"So, Master… how are we going to handle things today?" she asked, "I was thinking that since Caster and her Master got away, it'd be a good idea to try and track them down before they can start planning something again."

It seemed like both Master and Servant had been following the same line of thought, in this case.

"That's… yeah, I… I was thinking about that too," replied Ai, her mind drifting from food to more serious matters. They couldn't let Caster regroup, knowing the kinds of terrible things Natsuki Yukihiro and his Servant were willing to do. "I was thinking we could meet up with Inoue-san and Lancer again today, so we can track Caster down together."

Saber nodded.

"I still need to thank Lancer for carrying me home, anyway, eh-heh," added the pale samurai, scratching the back of her head a little. "But even if we don't find her today, she still suffered a pretty serious defeat. We probably have some time before she tries anything else, right?"

For a few moments, Ai was silent. Saber's logic made sense, and it seemed likely in most circumstances any magus would want to take some time to plan rather then immediately dive back into the fray. But Natsuki Yukihiro had seemed so… vicious, and Caster was willing to go along with him… there was no telling what someone like that could lead to.

"… You might be right, but… it's better to be safe than sorry, isn't it?" the small brunette said, finally.

"I'm sure Inoue-san or Lancer would say the same thing, Master," responded Saber with a confident nod. Tsubaki was the sensible type most of the time, and so was Lancer. Though… if she was being honest, Ai had been rather stunned when Tsubaki's first move when she encountered Natsuki Yukihiro had been to rush out and punch him with a reinforced fist. Not that it wasn't satisfying to see someone like that get punched, but for a moment she'd expected something a little more complex… then again, Tsubaki did seem like the athletic, sporty type, didn't she?

Maybe punching was one of the ways she'd learned to deliver her offensive magecraft? Yukihiro had flown a lot further than even a reinforced blow should have knocked him.

Her curiosity about Inoue Tsubaki's magecraft had been piqued, but she knew it wasn't going to be possible to learn more. She wasn't of the Inoue family, and no matter how nice Tsubaki was, it wasn't in a magus's nature to go sharing the secrets of their family's craft to anyone else, even if they were allies. Ai wouldn't go telling Tsubaki about everything she could do if she was asked, no matter how much she felt like the other girl was trustworthy.

"… But before we go searching, Master," Saber began, "You stayed up all night healing and worrying, so I think it would be a good idea to do something relaxing first! Letting yourself unwind before you do something tense is a good idea, especially when you've been doing things like that every night."

"A-ah?"

She'd felt strange for suggesting things like that at first, but now her Servant was the one advising they take some time for more leisurely activities?

"After seeing what you were like this morning, I think you need it," the samurai said, with a cheerful smile, "Besides, I'd like another chance to try some ice cream! I didn't get to finish it last time."

Well… it was difficult to argue with that… and besides, seeing Saber eat ice cream was awfully cute…

"… So I take it you want to go for ice cream later, Saber?" asked Ai. The silvery-haired girl nodded emphatically.

"I was thinking we could go out for lunch, too!" she said, brightly, "And we never got to check out that bakery, either… there were so many sweet-smelling pastries there that I never got to try!"

It was true, before Saber got to try anything at the bakery they'd ended up going to the café with Tsubaki. And she hadn't gotten to finish her ice cream because Assassin interrupted them… and going out to buy pastries and ice cream, and picking somewhere to go to lunch, sounded like it could be relaxing…

"My my my, Saber-chan has such a sweet tooth~" came Marianne's voice, abruptly, as the maid suddenly wrapped her arms around the girl samurai from behind, leaning close to her and poking her cheek.

"E-eh?" Saber, surprised, obviously having been focused on the idea of getting all the sweets she'd missed out on, tried to look back over her shoulder at the white-haired maid.

"And yet you have such a trim figure… be careful, Saber-chan, or you might ruin that figure of yours~ Fufufu~" continued Marianne, prodding Saber's cheek again. Could something like that happen to Servants? If she wasn't mistaken, there was a skill pertaining to having a body that not even overeating could change, or something along those lines. But would ordinary food actually ruin a Servant's figure? Ai was kind of doubtful of that fact.

"I-I'm not going to get ch-chubby! Th-that's not how it works for a Servant!" protested Saber, clearly embarrassed by the repeated prodding of her cheek and Marianne's refusal to release her.

Certainly, Ai didn't think food could change Saber's figure… but the way Marianne was teasing the other girl… it was making Saber act awfully cutely. She was almost tempted to try and join in, but as she opened her mouth… she faltered and fell silent. No… she didn't want to do anything that might make her Servant upset with her… and how could she even start with something like that?

"Are you sure? Can you be certain about that?" asked Marianne, cheerfully poking Saber in the side. The silvery-eyed girl let out a small yelp and squirmed, though she did not yet pull away from the maid. "What if you started to get squishy around here? Then you wouldn't be nearly as fast~ Wouldn't that be a shame~?"

"I-it's not going to happen anyway!" Saber protested, blushing with embarrassment.

"I suppose it's not like a squishy Saber-chan would be a bad thing~ Sometimes girls with a little more meat on them are cute, too~" Marianne continued. It was hard to imagine a girl like Saber looking like that, really… but now Ai's mind was wandering once again to the topic of Saber's body. She shook her head, blushing as she tried to avoid images of the beautiful girl samurai in the shower once more.

"I-it's not going to happen, so it doesn't matter!" Saber declared, finally pulling away from Marianne, cheeks deeply red, "N-no matter what I eat, I'm going to remain just like this!"

"Oh? Well that's good~" the maid said, straightening, "Saber-chan is best when she looks just like Saber-chan."

"A… are we leaving yet, Master?" asked Saber, still blushing as she turned to face Ai, who was still trying not to get too distracted by her own thoughts.

"A-ah… um… yes!" Ai responded, nodding and getting to her feet. They could decide where they'd go to lunch on the way out… as the small brunette began to make her way for the door, she realized that, well… prior to summoning Saber, she never would have decided to go out to eat like this. She wouldn't have simply gone out on the town and spent the day with… anyone. Most of her time was spent at home, reading or practicing her magecraft. Of course, practicing her magecraft was paramount for a magus, but she had never actually done anything like going out with friends. She hadn't really had any friends. Not for a long time, at least.

Of course, even going out to relax, it was difficult not to think of the Grail War, as Saber followed her out the door, both of the maids bowing as they departed. But, if they went out during the day like this, it wasn't likely that any of the enemy Servants would attempt to attack them. Rider had already seemingly been reprimanded for being too obvious by her Master, and Saber had defeated Assassin in their first battle as well as learned her name and fighting style. Caster… was still worrying, but after being defeated, Ai at least felt somewhat hopeful that Caster would refrain from engaging any of the other Servants for at least a little while.

So Ai concluded she would have to keep herself from thinking about it. Saber wanted her to relax… even if she'd been worrying about Saber all night, her Servant still wanted to keep her from breaking down from stress. And when she was in a more rational state of mind, she knew that getting stressed out would be harmful towards their success in the Grail War. It was hard not to worry, but today was time to try and relax and stay calm, wasn't it?

At least during the day. Later, well… they'd deal with that when it was time. Ai had to keep herself from thinking about more serious matters, after all.

"So, Master, where should we try going for lunch? I don't really know anything about the restaurants around here, after all," Saber asked, as she looked back over her shoulder. For a few moments, Ai was silent. Certainly, she'd shown Saber around town the other day, but when it came to knowing where was actually good to eat… her knowledge extended to the café that they'd visited when they allied with Tsubaki. That was it. Beyond that, Ai had no clue what had changed in the ten years since she had last lived here.

"U-um… er… well…" Ai trailed off. It was another warm day, though not quite so hot as it had been previously. Maybe somewhere they could eat outside? But given it had been ten years, the small brunette simply had no idea where that would be. She didn't know where was good to eat anymore. But she was hesitant to try and get in contact with Tsubaki and ask her. Tsubaki had a lot of important things to do, surely, and asking her about what restaurant to eat at would be a serious waste of her time. Scratching the back of her head, Ai gave a nervous laugh.

"Eh-heheheh… it's been so long that um… I don't… really know either…"

"Oh? But you showed me around… well, nevermind! That means we'll just have to pick based on what looks the best!" responded Saber, with a shrug. She didn't seem particularly bothered at all, but Ai herself certainly was. Sure, they had a while before either of them would want lunch, considering that they'd both just eaten breakfast, but… aah, even trying to focus on more relaxing things was making her worry! Was worrying just one of her default states of being?!

"U-um… well… we're not eating yet, so we can decide when it's time!" Ai declared, hoping that they'd see somewhere that looked appealing while they looked around the shopping district. Maybe she could buy some more cute outfits for Saber… Saber would look cute in just about anything of course, like the t-shirt, shorts, and thigh-highs combo she was wearing right now, but Ai felt like she could get her event cuter clothing. She had plenty of money to spend on that kind of thing, after all, and seeing Saber in cute outfits was definitely worth it.

When they arrived in the shopping district, they proceeded to head around to various different shops. First among them was indeed a clothing shop, where she had Saber model various different outfits before picking out the ones her Servant seemed to like the best. Ah, she looked so pretty in all of them that it was such a hard choice! At least for Ai, Saber herself seemed to like shorts a lot. On the way out, they'd passed a shop selling stuffed toys, and the girl samurai had gravitated towards a plush puppy that had prominently been on display. Moments later, Saber was holding the puppy against her chest as they left the shop.

From there, the both of them decided to leave the bakery for later, so they weren't carrying around fresh baked goods all day. Something felt bound to go wrong if that was the case. At least, that was how Ai felt about it. Instead, the small brunette found herself taking her Servant to just about any store that looked remotely interesting, regardless of how relevant it was to either of their needs. Seeing Saber try on a pair of glasses was just too cute, even if there was really no need for it at all.

Eventually, Ai realized that all the walking she was doing was making her feel pretty hungry. It wasn't as if she had actually walked particularly far. But Ai had been performing a lot more physical activity than she usually did over the past few days, and she found herself working up a rather serious appetite quite quickly.

"Master, are we going to eat soon? It's not like I need to, but it has been a while," Saber commented, looking around, "This is really fun, but I want to try some food, too!"

"Y-yeah! I… just need to decide on where we should go, eh-heheh…" Ai trailed off. Aaah, this was where the indecision would strike, wasn't it? She'd look around and struggle to figure out what Saber would like. Every decision eliminated all the others. What if she would like a different restaurant better then the one Ai picked? What if something went wrong, or there was a mistake with their food? That wouldn't be any good, either… why was picking out a restaurant such a daunting task when she was participating in the Holy Grail War?! And yet it felt like she was in the process of facing down an enemy Servant, and she couldn't decide what the best course of action was!

Taking a deep breath, she tried to come up with some kind of criteria for elimination! This was a crucial stage in her strategy to select the perfect restaurant to visit with Saber. To begin with, she'd been having plenty of Japanese cuisine curtesy of Marianne. So maybe going somewhere that specialized in more western dishes was a good idea? That seemed like a potential starting point, eliminating all the Japanese restaurants to focus on the Western ones!

The strategy was working! That left the café that they'd visited with Tsubaki and Lancer, and… a bunch of places that Ai had no real familiarity with. She could at least strike any fast food places from the list, so that was something… but not much. Maybe she could ask Saber what she wanted?

"Um… Saber, um… what do you feel like eating?" she asked, turning to face the girl samurai.

"Me? Hmm…" for a few moments, Saber was silent, looking thoughtful. Then, she flashed Ai a bright smile. "I'm fine with anything that tastes good!"

It didn't help at all! Saber was too accepting! While this normally would be a good thing, when it came to picking out a restaurant that made it even harder to decide! Saber said she was fine with anything, but what if she hadn't thought of what she wanted yet?!  
Was this one of the greatest challenges Ai would ever face, short of the Grail War itself?!

Ai was now visibly panicking, looking frantic as she looking up and down the street of the Minami shopping district.

"… Um… Master, why don't we just go there?" Saber asked, gesturing to a nearby building. Ai followed her gaze, and her golden eyes came to rest on a restaurant proudly advertising its western specialty. That had been right there in front of her the whole time, when she'd been panicking about what to do. And now that the small brunette had taken a moment, she could smell something quite good, the scent wafting right from the restaurant in question.

Ah.

They entered the restaurant and were seated in relatively short order, and, after a bit of a mixup where Ai was given the children's menu, had ordered themselves a meal. It was specifically 'American' fare, and they both ended up getting cheeseburgers. It was hardly the first time Ai had one, but Saber seemed completely unused to it. In the end, however, she decided that she liked it a great deal, even if she felt it was on the heavy side. In spite of that, Saber still managed to finish her meal before Ai even got halfway, and seemed interested in having dessert immediately even though Ai had barely managed to finish her food. Servants really did have much more endurance then humans…

Once they were done, and Ai had paid for the food, they were on their way out.

"We should go to the bakery next!" declared Saber brightly, as she walked on ahead. For the moment, Ai felt like she had some lead in her stomach and wouldn't be able to indulge in anything from the bakery… especially since they planned on having ice cream later, as well. If she was going to have ice cream, there was no way she was also going to get something from the bakery.

But that didn't mean Saber couldn't.

"I really wanted to try their taiyaki!" continued her Servant, cheerfully. Ai's attention on the girl samurai, she didn't notice that someone else was approaching them, at least not until the person in question bumped into her.

"Ah!"

Ai stumbled backwards, barely managing to catch herself before she hit the ground. When she straightened, she caught sight of the person who had bumped into her in the first place.

It was a little girl. Even shorter than Ai herself, with long, silver hair and yellow eyes. It was a striking appearance, and the fact that it was a lone child made it even more unusual. For a moment Ai felt as if she recognized her from somewhere… On the girl's head was a blue beret, and she wore a white shirt and blue skirt.

She stood there, silently, for several moments, saying nothing.

Saber took the initiative, now. While she was rather short herself, she still decided to crouch down near the silver-haired little girl, smiling.

"Are you lost?"

Rather than answering, the girl simply remained silent. After a moment's pause, she slowly nodded. Ah… a lost child? Well… it wouldn't take long to find her family, and Saber seemed to be handling it quite well.

"Can you show me where you last saw them?" Saber asked, standing, and offering her hand to the silver-haired little girl. After another silent pause, the girl nodded again and took the swordswoman's hand. Ai followed.

The little girl was rather cute, but for some reason she kept glancing back at Ai. The small brunette didn't really know why, but with some despair she noticed that, while she was taller then the little girl… it was just barely. She looked like she could be the same age, or maybe a year older, at most… Aaah, why was she so short? Getting the children's menu earlier had just driven the knife in deeper… And now she was seeing just how close she was to the height of an actual little girl.

It wasn't like Ai wasn't aware. She knew how small she was. But seeing herself in comparison to a real child… well, it was a bit more painful then all that.

As they walked, however, Ai began to notice something. They were moving further and further away from all the crowds. They were heading for a more secluded spot, a back alley, somewhere where they wouldn't be seen… was this really the way a child had come? Why would she come this way? Saber, too, seemed rather wary now… but at the same time, it seemed she was unwilling to stop following the little girl. Ai could hardly blame her, abandoning a child here would have been terrible.

However…

"Ma'am."

Almost immediately, Saber released the little girl's hand, grabbing Ai and shoving her behind her. The small brunette let out a yelp, stumbling, as her Servant's sword appeared in a flurry of cherry blossom petal lights, the katana glinting in the sunlight, gleaming brilliantly. Peering from behind Saber, Ai's gaze fell upon the shape of the cowboy Archer, his handgun resting against his shoulder as he tipped his hat.

"Archer!" snapped Saber, her silvery-gold eyes narrowed at the enemy Servant, "What are you thinking?! There's a civilian here, and it's broad daylight!"

"Relax, I'm not here to fight. Well, not exactly," he said, tipping his hat quietly towards the both of them, "But before all that, I was plannin' on havin' a chat with you ladies, on behalf of my Master."

But he hadn't addressed the fact that this little girl had now been dragged into the Holy Grail War. Her life was placed in danger because… wait…

The silver-haired little girl was walking towards Archer?

"You did a good job, Marion," said the gun-wielding Servant, with a smile. He reached a hand out and patted the little girl on the top of her head. She said nothing, but quietly stepped to Archer's side and turned to face Saber and Ai. "I'm sure our Master's proud."

"… Her Master too?" Saber asked, narrowing her eyes, "What's going on here?!"

"… She's a familiar," Ai said. Of course, there was no way that the explanation could be anything else. She remembered, now, the little girl that had interrupted that first battle. When Saber and Lancer had been fighting, a little girl had suddenly appeared, followed by Archer. And that little girl, now that she thought about it, also had silver hair and yellow eyes. The little girl wasn't a human at all, rather a familiar, like her cats, but with a human form rather than that of an animal. She had heard of such a thing before, but had never learned how to actually make a familiar with a human appearance.

"… So… what is it your Master wants?" she asked, warily. Saber's katana remained raised, parallel to her head as she was ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"Well, my Master's the cautious sort, 'n it's not like I can blame him," he said, with a shrug, as Marion quietly stood by his side, "I reckon you're familiar with the woods outside 'a town, right?"

The forest? The Harazuki Forest was familiar to everyone in Minami, mostly due to the myths and rumors about it. Even hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, it was said to be haunted, or to be inhabited with hostile youkai. The truth was that it was quite a strongly spiritual location, and that a variety of phantoms inhabited it even today, though there were unlikely to be capable of harming most humans at this point. Ai had never been there, however, but there was one thing she knew about it.

It was one of the potential locations for the summoning of the Holy Grail. Its inherent nature a strongly spiritual place made it an excellent candidate.

"… Yes… er…" Ai hesitated for a moment, "Is something going on there? I know that the Grail can descend there, at least…"

"There's a black spot at the heart of the forest," replied Archer, in an almost matter-of-fact way, "Not a single clue what's goin' on there, but no way it's anythin' good."

"A… black spot?" Saber questioned. What did that mean? At the moment Ai didn't have any idea what it could possibly be. But it didn't sound good at all. That was something she agreed with Archer on, that was for certain. Her mind swiftly tried to consider the potential options, the possibilities for why this black spot could come to exist.

"Does… does your Master have any idea what it is?" she asked, finally, unable to come up with any possibilities on her own.  
Archer shook his head.

"I reckon it's the doin' of another Servant, and he agrees," he replied, however. "Mighty powerful, whatever it is. Problem is that it's right on top of where the Grail would arrive, 'n my Master suspects somethin's afoot."

That was one way to put it. One of the Servants had set up some kind of bounded field, she suspected… was it Caster? Why had Caster changed her tactics so suddenly, if that was the case? What, exactly, was the field?

"… So what does he want?" asked Saber, narrowing her silver-gold eyes as she did, her blade still glinting in the sunlight.

"A ceasefire, plain 'n simple," Archer answered, "You don't attack me, I won't attack you. At least, until the black spot's dealt with."

For a few moments, Saber was silent, before glancing back over her shoulder at Ai.

"Master?"

It… made sense. Whatever it was, the black spot was placed directly on top of one of the three locations in which the grail could appear. It posed a potential hazard, and was also possibly an immediate threat. It was a worrying unknown, and if it was Caster's doing… Wasn't it best to deal with it as soon as possible? Given that they had now encountered every Servant, Caster really did seem like the most likely possibility as well…

Ai nodded.

"It only makes sense… something like that should be dealt with as soon as possible, um… so… so tell your Master we accept," she began, "Does he have any kind of plan yet?"

Archer shook his head.

"We're in the process of gettin' word out to the other Masters 'n Servants," he said, holstering his revolver as he spoke, "To be honest, it was the Overseer who noticed first, but she left it up to us what to do. As I recall, she said if we wanted to handle tellin' the rest of the Masters instead of her, she wouldn't mind."

So the idea was to get everyone together and attack it, then? And the Overseer had realized it was there before anyone else had? If she'd chosen to begin informing the Masters, it was possible that she had reason to believe it would spiral into a far larger problem then simply creating a base on one of the points the Grail could appear in. Though… she really had decided she could leave the job to someone else? What kind of nun was she?!

"… Very well," Saber said, "When the time has come, I'll assist in bringing whatever this black spot is to an end."

It was clear Saber was quite wary of Archer, but at the same time the black spot was… strange and worrying.

"Can you tell us anything else about it?" Ai asked.

"Not much. Just that no light touches it," replied the cowboy Servant, with a shrug, "But… before I leave…"

A smile came to his lips.

"This might be the last chance we have, if you catch my meanin'."

What did he mean by that? Saber seemed confused too.

"Archer? What do you mean?" she asked. Her glinting sword was lowered slightly, as she regarded the other Servant with confusion.

"I mean that the circumstances of the Holy Grail War can change mighty quick," he explained, "If one of us bites it before we get a chance to meet again, I reckon it'd be a missed opportunity."

The small brunette still didn't understand. What was Archer talking about? A missed opportunity? It wasn't making any sense to her.

"Whaddaya say, ma'am?" Archer continued, his gaze now fixed on Saber herself, "Care to test the speed of your blade against the fastest gun in the west?"

Wait, what?!

"… W-weren't… w-w-weren't you just declaring a ceasefire?! Wh-what happened?!" she cried, before Saber could even answer. Fighting during in broad daylight? That was way too risky! And… and they had just been talking about teaming up to handle the strange black spot in the forest! Now there was going to be a fight?

"Nah, no fight, little lady," responded Archer, "More of a… quick draw."

He patted the revolver holstered at his side.

"Saber, if you can draw your sword and reach me before I can squeeze off a shot, you win, it's a ceasefire," he explained, "If not… well, you get shot. Pretty simple rules, right?"

For a few moments, Saber was silent.

Then, she lowered her katana.

"Is your Master aware of this?" she asked.

"'Course not. This is all my idea," came Archer's response.

There was a tense pause.

"… Very well, I'll accept your challenge," Saber began, a smile forming on her lips. "I have nothing but confidence in my abilities with the blade."

"S-Saber…" Ai couldn't help but worry. It wasn't as if she doubted Saber's capabilities. It was that she didn't know Archer's. If he shot Saber… was it a trick? Was it a ploy to use his Noble Phantasm, or some kind of Servant Skill, to deal crippling damage to Saber? All these worries came pouring out, and, slowly, she found herself reaching out to grasp at the girl samurai's sleeve, tugging.

"B… b-be careful, Saber," she said, her voice wavering.

Her Servant looked back over her shoulder, and gave her a wide smile.

"Of course, Master! It's not like I'll screw up, but even if I do, I have you here to heal me, don't I?" she responded, before facing forward again.

"A-ah…"

Ai felt her cheeks flushing, and she slowly released her Servant's sleeve. And now all she could do was have faith in her.

Saber's feet slid into a ready stance, as she drew her blade parallel to her head. Archer smiled, and then his hand was at his side, his fingers flexing and unflexing, poised to draw his revolver in an instant. For Ai, the world seemed to slow down to a crawl, as her heart hammered in her chest, her legs quaking. She had no idea how this would end, but she knew that Archer wouldn't make such a proposal if he didn't have an incredibly fast trigger finger. For that matter, anyone from the American West, during the age of outlaws, who could qualify as a Servant was bound to be capable of incredible feats of marksmanship and gunplay.

The tension was enormous, her hands trembling as she watched the two. It seemed like hours were passing as the two Servants faced one another down, blade versus sword. East versus west.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Archer's voice.

"Draw!"

What followed… well, she wasn't sure what happened. There was a rush of wind, a tremendous backdraft as air pressure blasted through the alleyway and almost knocked the small brunette off of her feet! The sound, it was like a sonic boom!

The challenge was over in an instant. For all the suspense, all the tension, the game had ended faster than it had begun. But… who had won? Ai couldn't tell, and she was too scared to even try and get a closer look.

Saber stood in front of Archer, her blade placed against his neck. From her position, she began to realize that the revolver's barrel was pressed against the swordswoman's chest. At that close range… if he'd fired…

"… Nice work!" declared Archer, brightly, calmly holstering his pistol, "It didn't even look like you moved!"

Saber stepped back, lowering her sword to her side. "You moved fast enough to draw your pistol at the same pace as my flash stepping… whoever you are, Archer, you're incredible with that gun!"

"Heh, I could say the same of you, ma'am!" declared the cowboy Servant, adjusting his hat with one hand as he did, "You covered the distance between us before I could even pull the trigger! It's a ceasefire then, alright!"

It was at that point that Ai noticed Marion, the familiar, quietly tug on Archer's sleeve. She realized that the girl was pouting, looking up at Archer as she did. As Saber returned to her side, Archer crouched next to the familiar and produced a piece of candy from his pocket, offering it to Marion as he did. After a few moments, she took it, still holding Archer's sleeve in her other hand.

"I'll go 'n tell my Master our meetin' went well," said the blonde cowboy, straightened as Marion munched on the candy. "When I've had a chat with all the other Masters, we'll take on the one responsible for the black spot, so I reckon you should be ready."

Still shaking, after witnessing the incredibly close resolution to Archer's challenge, Ai found herself struggling to respond.

Saber spoke instead.

"We'll be ready, Archer," she said, with a smile, "Whatever's created that black spot, we'll be able to take it down!"

"Heh, lookin' forward to it," replied Archer, "See you later, Saber, little lady."

He tipped his hat, and turned. As he moved, his body faded, disappearing into shimmering golden lights. Once he'd completely vanished, Marion began to leave. As the silver-haired little girl approached the end of the alley, she gave one last, silent glance towards Ai and Saber, before rounding the corner and disappearing from view entirely.

"… Whew!" exclaimed Saber, her katana disappearing into cherry blossom petal lights as she turned on her heel, smiling at her Master, "That was pretty tense, huh? Archer's pretty quick on the draw, but at this range I've got the advantage!"

"… Y-y-you're so relaxed, Saber…" Ai commented, her voice trembling as she looked up at her Servant. She couldn't fathom how it was that the silvery-haired girl was taking it so easily when she'd just had the enemy Servant's pistol pressed against her chest. How could it be that someone could relax so quickly?

"Eh? Am I? Well… I won, so he wasn't going to go back on his word, right? So there isn't really anything to worry about anymore until we take care of the black spot," she responded cheerily with a shrug.

"… I-I'm sorry, I… I g-got really worried… e-er…" the small brunette fidgeted, averting her eyes.

"I don't know why you think you need to apologize for being worried, Master," Saber said, "But it's alright! When it comes to speed with a sword, I'm second to none! Though he got pretty close… I might've lost if I'd been further away to start with, but there's no point in worrying about that!"

Ah… Ai almost felt envious, as she tried to calm her pounding heart. Saber was able to calm down so quickly after something as tense as that, and yet the small brunette simply couldn't. She wasn't panicking as much as she had the previous night, but still… she was struggling to try and focus on anything but how worried she had been.

But then she felt her Servant's hand on her shoulder.

"Master… it's over now," she said, smiling, "Right now, we should get back to spending our free time well, right? After all, you were so helpful to me earlier, you should make sure you're in top shape for later!"

And now Ai's heart was hammering in her chest for entirely different reasons. Saber was so beautiful, and so kind…

"R-right!"

Even if Archer had interrupted them with all of that, with the black spot and his challenge to Saber, right now they were supposed to be taking what time they had to relax, before anything else happened. Besides, she was supposed to give Saber a chance to try out the bakery and get to finish her ice cream this time, wasn't she? She wanted to make the girl samurai happy, after all… and if they were supposed to be relaxing, it only made sense.

It wasn't much longer before they'd be meeting up with Tsubaki and Lancer, in the evening, when the sun was beginning to set. So naturally, they had to spend all their remaining time before that as well as they could, didn't they? On top of that, they would have to deal with that black spot soon…

As the two girls left the alleyway, Ai nodded to herself.

This was preparation, too.

As the both of them walked, however, Ai thought she noticed someone waiting outside the alleyway, out of the corner of her eye. For the briefest moment, the small brunette thought she had seen a figure with dark skin and pale purple hair…

But when she turned to get a better look, there was no-one there.

"Master?" Saber asked, glancing back at her, "Is something wrong?"

"Ah… n-no!"

Even if someone had been there… maybe they'd just come to see what the commotion was about?

It must have been nothing.

* * *

The fact that there wasn't a single Rune left wasn't exactly unexpected, but it couldn't exactly be called comforting either. Tsubaki took one last look over the back alley wall carefully, but there was no sign of any sort of magecraft at all. Caster seemed to have abandoned the plan, but there was no telling what else it that the Servant or her Master could be doing. Especially given what she'd heard from Archer about the black spot in the forest. There were no other candidates, given that they had now seen every Servant in the war. It had to be Caster.

"It seems as if Caster no longer intends to use the bounded field," Lancer commented, as she waited for Tsubaki to finish her exploration, "Though this likely means that her Master has selected a different plan with which to achieve his goal."

The blonde Servant folded her arms.

"Such an evil man," she continued, "The useless slaughter of every single person in this city…"

"I won't allow him to do anything like that, Lancer," Tsubaki replied. By this point, the sun was nearly fully set, hanging low over the horizon. It would soon be time to get into contact with Ai and Saber. The black-haired girl wondered if Archer had already spoken with them or not. If he had, then it would be easier to try and theorize over the nature of the black spot in the forest.

And over Caster's identity. She was a magus of the Age of Gods, who possessed incredibly powerful magecraft. But in addition to that, she was also a necromancer whose skills lay in the animation of the dead. With the usage of runes as well, this hinted at a possible identity… but Tsubaki simply didn't have enough information to reach a concrete conclusion. Lancer, too, seemed uncertain… if they could learn her identity, they would be able to figure out her strengths and weaknesses.

But that wasn't all.

"Lancer… you held him off for a while, do you have any idea who Berserker might be?" Tsubaki asked, as they began to leave the alleyway. After a moment's pause, the knight shook her head.

"I cannot say I do," she responded, "Berserker's enormous size and dark skin seem like they may imply a specific origin… but beyond that, I have no idea who he may be. His ability to summon skeletal warriors complicates things further."

Tsubaki nodded. But that wasn't the only complication that came with Berserker. His Master, the little girl with white hair, who seemed so innocent, was an Einzbern. She had thought that the Einzbern's last bid at the Holy Grail had been more than ten years ago, in Fuyuki. But now one of their homunculi had appeared here?

If she was being honest, Tsubaki didn't want to harm the Einzbern Master at all, even knowing she absolutely possessed powerful capabilities as a magus. She was a little girl, even if she was a homunculus. Seriously harming her was unpleasant to even think about. But the fact was that Tsubaki needed to be prepared to fight her, if it came down to it.

She hoped it wouldn't.

There were other matters worrying her, too. If Natsuki Yukihiro and Caster were responsible for Saori's disappearance, as she suspected they were, was there any hope that she was still alive? Ever since she had learned just who Caster's Master was, and what his true nature was like, Tsubaki had been thinking about it. Saori had been… not her closest friend, but a friend, and the thought of Natsuki Yukihiro killing her…

And yet, if they were responsible, was there really any hope that the girl was still alive? Or was she a shambling corpse animated by magecraft, whose only purpose was to serve Yukihiro's will?

The thought made Tsubaki sick.

"Is there something else bothering you, Master?" came Lancer's voice, suddenly.

"Ah…" Tsubaki paused for a moment. Maybe… maybe her Servant would have some input… "… If Natsuki and Caster are responsible for her disappearance… do you think…"

She hesitated for a moment.

"Do you think there's any chance that Saori-san is still alive?"

Lancer did not respond for several moments. When she spoke, she was somewhat hesitating, and Tsubaki could tell that her Servant was clearly reluctant to speak her suspicions.

"… I… cannot be certain," she said, finally, somewhat quietly. "It's… it is… It is not impossible that she is still alive. Perhaps Caster is keeping her imprisoned for some reason."

It wasn't impossible. That much was true. But Tsubaki could tell that Lancer was unwilling to say what was truly on her mind. The natural conclusion was that Saori was dead. It was strange, not feeling more upset about that prospect. Saori had disappeared for several days, but the idea of her being dead just gave Tsubaki a kind of hollow feeling in her chest. She didn't know for sure, but she couldn't see any other possibility, either.

The truth was that she had steadily been giving up hope on finding Saori alive more and more since learning just who the most likely culprit was.

"… I understand, Lancer…" she said, trailing off as they headed away from the alleyway. It was difficult to try and focus on the incoming meetup with Ai and Saber when one of her friends was likely now dead.

At this point, the sun was quite low in the sky, barely peeking over the horizon. It was late, and there were few people in this area of town right now. It was important to be wary of a potential attack by an enemy Servant, even if Archer was supposedly trying to organize a ceasefire. It wasn't as if anyone else had to abide by that, the agreement was simply that they had to destroy the black spot. There was a chance that the other Servants would still take the opportunity to attack if they thought it was an opportune time.

"… Ts… Tsubaki… -san…?"

That voice snapped Tsubaki out of her thoughts. Who was that…? She turned around, Lancer having already turned towards the source of the voice, and she saw…

Saori.

That dark, shoulder-length hair tied into a side ponytail on the lefthand side. Her soft facial features… Saori was there. Standing right before her.

"… I… w-wanted to… to talk to you… Tsubaki-san… but I couldn't for so long… my throat feels so hot…" Saori said, trembling. Before she could even think, Tsubaki found herself sprinting over to her friend and throwing her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"Ah… Tsubaki-san…" the other girl mumbled weakly.

Tsubaki couldn't understand what had happened. She had no idea why Saori was here, safe and alive, but that was beside the point. The point was that she seemed fine, if somewhat woozy. She was alright. She wasn't dead. Tsubaki could feel the softness of Saori's body against her, and her hug tightened.

"I… I was… I thought you might be dead, Saori-san…" Tsubaki said, her voice trailing off, "You disappeared for days… I… where were you…? Are you okay? Was it Natsuki?"

"Natsuki…" Saori trailed off. She didn't seem entirely with it, and for the moment Tsubaki assumed that was due to some kind of spell that had been placed on her. She could figure it out when she got Saori somewhere safe. The important thing was to make sure she would be alright.

"You're going to be fine, Saori-san!" Tsubaki insisted, "Just leave it to me! You won't have to worry about him any longer!"

"… Ah… Tsubaki-san… you…" Saori trailed off, trembling slightly in Tsubaki's arms, "You… you look… so… so beautiful…"  
Why was Saori focused on that, of all things? Well, it didn't matter, she just had to make sure that Saori got the medical attention she needed.

"Just relax, Saori-san. Take it easy…" she said, rubbing Saori's back.

"… So… so beautiful… my throat feels so hot, Tsubaki-san…" the other girl said, quaking slightly, "Your neck… looks so pretty… I just want to… to…"

Tsubaki didn't understand. What was Saori saying…?

Suddenly, Saori was knocked out of her arms, sent flying meters away! She rolled once and lay limply on her front, unmoving. Tsubaki's eyes widened, and she turned to see the culprit.

"Lancer?! What… what did you do!? Why?!" she snapped. Lancer had just attacked her friend, who was clearly under duress, for no reason! She needed help, and yet her Servant just slapped Saori away like nothing, for no reason! For a few moments, all Tsubaki could feel was rage beginning to rise in her heart. She turned around, ready to sprint to Saori's side to check if she had been injured and try and help her back to her feet, but she felt the blonde knight's hand firmly on her shoulder, stopping her from moving.

"Master, Yumimura Saori is no longer human!" declared Lancer, raising her free hand to point towards the downed girl, her gleaming lance materializing as she did.

Tsubaki paused for a moment. No longer human…? Her eyes widened.

Saori was getting back up. Panting. One of her hands clenched and unclenched as she shakily rose. At first, Tsubaki had been too happy to see Saori alive to really notice, but as she watched the other girl rise, she realized her eyes were a bright, almost luminescent shade of red. And yet they had been a dark shade of brown before...

"… I… i-it hurt… I didn't… why is my throat burning so much…"

There was only one explanation for these traits.

Saori was a Dead Apostle.

A vampire.

A blood-drinking denizen of the night that hunted humans to stay alive. Somehow, Saori have become a Dead Apostle. For the few moments that passed while Tsubaki was simply unable to articulate herself, watching the other girl shakily make it to her feet, the black-haired girl questioned how this could happen. Why? Who would do this to poor, sweet Saori? It wasn't anything Natsuki would have been capable of, which meant… Caster? But why? Why would Caster turn a girl into a Dead Apostle with magecraft? One of her friends was now forced to thrive upon draining blood from others…

".. S… Saori…" Tsubaki raised her hand, weakly, reaching towards her friend. For all her capabilities as a magus, she had no idea how this could be solved. There was no way to simply 'cure' a vampire. But… even still… Saori was still her friend, wasn't she? She didn't want to hurt her.

Lancer stepped in front of her, even as the dark-haired girl straightened, one hand to her head.

"T-Tsubaki-san… why does my throat burn like this…? Why… why did she hurt me…" she asked. Lancer raised her weapon slowly, a grim expression on her face.

"… Master, I…" the knight paused for a moment, "Master, what… what should I do?"

Tsubaki hesitated. Right now, like this… Saori wasn't attempting to attack her. She was struggling with herself, hugging herself and shaking. She doubted the other girl had any idea what had happened to her… She didn't want to hurt her. She couldn't bring herself to hurt her. But… a Dead Apostle, one who couldn't control herself, loose in the city… she could hurt others, even if she didn't want to. What could she do? Tsubaki couldn't begin to contemplate killing Saori…

"… Don't… don't hurt her…" the black-haired girl said, finally, "I… we need to find some way to help her, I… we have to…"  
Lancer lowered her weapon with a grimace.

"Master, I…"

Something in Saori's shadow stirred. Remembering what Ai had said, Tsubaki had no choice but to order Lancer into action, just as the fox-masked figure began to emerge from the darkness.

"LANCER!"

At this distance, it was possible. Just as Assassin raised her blade, Lancer made it to Saori's side. The dazed girl was knocked off her feet from the burst of air pressure, falling to her side as Lancer's cavalry lance was swung in an arc, slamming into Assassin's side and sending her hurtling through the air. She slammed into the nearby wall with a resounding thud, and the blonde knight swiftly followed, her armor materializing as she grabbed the fox masked Servant by the front of her clothing and pressed her against the wall, to keep her from escaping or vanishing into the shadows!

"You won't escape this time, Assassin! I know your tri-" but even as Lancer spoke, there was a crackling sound like lightning as a column of green light slammed into the pavement beside Saori, who was struggling to her feet!

Tsubaki's eyes widened.

There was Caster, and at her sides… those were not the Dead. At least, they were not human dead. The two figures beside her were enormous, massive humanoid creatures with long arms and short legs, grey skin peeling away to show muscle, bone exposed in some areas of their bodies. One had only half a head, while the other was missing an eye. Each of them had to be at least five meters tall, or more. They were far sturdier undead then the decrepit corpses that Caster had used before, and they were so huge… One wielded a massive stone axe, the other a club.

Lancer was on the other side of her, now. Tsubaki couldn't see what was going on.

"Y-you… Caster?!" cried Tsubaki, stepping forward, rage building in her heart. Caster… Caster had to be the one responsible for all of this! For Saori's fate as a Dead Apostle, it was the only explanation! So… she had to do something, she had to…

The enemy Servant, however, ignored her, even as the pair of enormous dead things took defensive positions around her. She knelt beside Saori, and in a shockingly tender manner placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Master, this place isn't safe for you. You're not ready," said Caster, brushing the hair out of the dazed girl's eyes, "You still need more time. Come back with me, Saori."

Master? What? How… what was happening?! Why was… why was Caster referring to Saori as her Master?! And treating her so… so gently, why…?

"Ah… I… Caster, I… I'm sorry…" she heard Saori mumble weakly. There was nothing Tsubaki could say. Natsuki Yukihiro had been Caster's Master, hadn't he? But now Saori was a Dead Apostle, and she was the one in place of him? How? Just what had happened?

The giant who had taken a position behind Caster suddenly reeled, barely catching itself.

"… I have no time to deal with any of you," the magus from the Age of Gods said, one hand still stroking Saori's hair. "So I'll let you play with them for now~"

Both Caster and Saori began to dissipate into what looked like black butterflies, even as Tsubaki weakly reached towards them. But before she could do anything else, they were gone.

The closest giant almost immediately charged Tsubaki. No matter what was going on, no matter what had happened to Saori, she couldn't allow herself to die. The black-haired girl wasn't going to stand by and let the giant crush her!

As the massive dead creature came close, she channeled mana through her body, reinforcing her legs and darting to the side as its tremendous axe swung down where she had just stood! As she did, Tsubaki noticed the other giant stumble backwards and fell to the ground, forced out of the way as Lancer burst forward, leaping into the air and driving the sharp tip of her cavalry lance into the first giant's shoulder!

"Blaze, divine light!" she cried, and a brilliant glow ignited inside of the massive dead thing's body, tearing through its shoulder and blowing its arm cleanly off in the form of a resplendent beam of light! She dropped to the ground, but the one-armed giant let out a roar and turned to face her. Behind her, the other dead giant was rising back to its feet, and almost immediately Tsubaki noticed that the fox masked Assassin was still present as well, watching from a small distance away. She wasn't attacking, neither the giants nor Lancer, rather she seemed to be watching carefully.

Sparks flew when the stone axe giant swung its weapon downwards once more, Lancer using the side of her cavalry lance to block the blow and force it back. Before she could strike, however, the second giant's club came swinging in from the left, forcing her to use her weapon to block once more, bracing it with her hand as she did! Sparks flew up from her armored feet, scrapping along the ground as she slid backwards across the concrete! Both giants immediately advanced on her, roaring as she squared her feet, gripping her lance in both hands. Without waiting another moment, Lancer sprinted forward, her lance igniting with brilliant light once more as it sheared through the rotten flesh of the axe-wielding giant's thick leg!

It stumbled with a groan, its lower leg bending sideways, weakened bone snapping as it hit one knee. Before Lancer could finish it off, however, the club-wielding giant attacked again, a wild slam forcing her to evade immediately!

Tsubaki's eyes were flicking between the battle, and Assassin. But so far, the fox-masked Servant seemed to have no interest in attempting to join the battle. Rather, she simply watched, without making a single move, as Lancer fought the two massive undead giants. What was she doing…?

Moreover, these giant undead were far more dangerous than anything Caster had used before… Had the magus Servant been holding back, before? They were so large, and so strong… and what was the connection with Saori? Why had she…

The stone axe giant roared as it swung its body around, trying to reach Lancer as she sprinted around it, putting it between herself and the giant that could still stand. As it turned once more to attempt to strike, Lancer drove her weapon through its head! Light blazed along her cavalry lance, and with a sound like a ringing bell it exploded forward in a brilliant beam, disintegrating the huge undead's skull! The light carried on, shearing through the second giant's upper body and putting a hole clear through it, but it continued to bear down on the blonde knight, swinging its club downward towards her! Lancer darted backwards as the enormous weapon crushed what remained of the first giant into the street, leaving a mangled mess behind that quickly faded away. Even though there was now a hole that allowed Tsubaki to see clear through one side of the giant to the other, the undead monster refused to fall, stepping on the fading body of the other giant as it pursued Lancer.

The next time its club came down, however, she planted her foot on the weapon, a thin beam erupting from the tip of her lance as she thrust it forward, blowing off the giant's arm at the elbow! It fell to the ground as the giant stumbled back with a roar, swinging its remaining hand towards her. Lancer sprang back, the huge hand narrowly missing her head, her braid and cape fluttering in the wind. The knight darted forward as the undead giant recovered from its swing, driving her weapon through one of its knees and sending it toppling backwards to the ground! As it attempted to right itself, Lancer sprinted across its huge body and drove her lance through its head!

In a matter of moments, Lancer had destroyed both of the dead! Even now, even after every shocking thing she had seen, Tsubaki couldn't help but feel awe at the incredible capabilities of her Servant. Such creatures were right out of myth… and yet, so was Lancer, wasn't she?

The body began to fade away as the blonde knight tore her weapon from the enormous dead thing's head. Without pause, she raised it to point the tip squarely at Assassin.

"Have you prepared yourself, Assassin?!"

Assassin was silent.

Finally, rather then attempting to fight, she reached up and removed her fox mask, displaying a beautiful, pale, purple-eyed face.

"… From the beginning, neither you nor your Master were my target, Lancer," she said, simply, "I targeted the vampire. I am aware there is little chance of success if I were to attempt an assassination on your Master, at the moment."

"That vampire… she… she's my friend!" snapped Tsubaki, stepping forward. Now that the battle was concluded, she couldn't hold back her emotions. Even if Saori had become a vampire, she wouldn't allow her to be killed like that. She knew the danger inherent in the presence of a Dead Apostle, but just because of that… it didn't mean she was no longer Yumimura Saori!

"Regardless of that, she is still a vampire," responded Assassin, gaze remaining on Lancer rather then regarding Tsubaki, "For the sake of preserving the secrecy of the war, it would be best to kill her. Such efficiency would be praised by my lord."

"And I won't let you do that!" cried Tsubaki, her hands curling into fists. Certainly, she knew a logical magus would cut her emotions away and concern herself only with the preservation of the secret that was the Holy Grail War. But the black-haired girl was hardly concerned about such things when it came to the life of one of her friends. Even if she had somehow become Caster's Master as well as a Dead Apostle. "It doesn't matter if she's a vampire or one of the enemy Masters, she's still my friend!"

"I care not for your opinion," replied the enemy Servant, "All that matters is my duty."

"You should be wary with your words, Mori Ranmaru," said Lancer, stepping forward, light glinting off of her cavalry lance, armor clanking, "Now that I am aware of your tricks, a battle between us would end in a flash."

"… I see. So Saber shared my true name with you…" Assassin mused, her face betraying no emotions as she faced down the blonde knight's weapon.

And then, she began to dissipate into golden light.

"I will not try to fight you, Lancer."

Soon, Assassin was gone.

Lancer lowered her weapon. They were alone on the street, now.

Tsubaki's fits uncurled. What was she supposed to do now, though…? She wanted to save Saori, but how could she do such a thing?

No, it didn't matter. She would do it. It was something she committed herself to completely.

"… Master?" Lancer began, turning towards the black-haired girl.

"Lancer… I have to save Saori-san."

Even if it seemed impossible.

It had to be done.


	7. Chapter 7

He'd asked her to come and study with him. It had seemed innocent enough, so she hadn't thought anything of it. Sometime Natsuki Yukihiro could seem kind of forceful and impatient, and that usually made her kind of nervous… but he was being so polite this time. Since he was being nice, she wanted to help. She wanted to repay someone for realizing they were pushy and trying to make up for it. Besides, he'd said that he'd been struggling in class recently, and when it came to someone like Yukihiro, it took a lot to admit any kind of fault, didn't it?

And so, Saori had agreed to go with him. She was kind of nervous, given she was going home with him, and hoped he didn't expect anything more then a study session. That was all she was planning on doing, after all. He tried to talk to her a lot, but she was unsure of what to say to him. It wasn't that Saori was shy, rather that she hadn't interacted much with Natsuki Yukihiro before that point. He'd eventually apologized, and she felt awkward and started up conversation.

It turned out that the both of them were keeping up with the same manga. It had been something they could talk about on the way to his house. The conversation had gotten a lot more lively by the time they reached his home. Having never seen it before, or talked to Natsuki Yukihiro very much, she was surprised to see what a large house it was. It could even be called a mansion, and she told him as much as they went inside.

He'd said he had to go get something, and vanished from view, upstairs. So Saori had politely waited for him, sitting down calmly and waiting for the boy to finish whatever he was doing.

She didn't remember what happened after that.

Saori simply remembered awakening, suddenly, in a dark, empty basement. In front of her was some sort of strange inscription on the floor, and there, standing over her, was Natsuki Yukihiro. He'd said a lot of things she didn't understand, about summoning something, about needing her blood, about how happy she'd made him and how excited he was. She didn't understand any of it, but she was terrified. She tried to beg him to let her go, but her mouth was gagged.

And then he'd taken out the knife. He'd spent so much time, running it across her skin, only barely avoiding cutting her. She'd cried. She'd tried to beg. But he just said she'd make a lovely corpse. He cut through her clothing, ran the knife across her legs and belly, all with this gleeful, child-like joy.

She had eventually become speechless with terror. Saori had been unable to articulate any words, just watch in fear as the knife ran across her body. It seemed like she'd spent hours lying there, shaking with fear, unable to free herself.

Then, Yukihiro had said it was time, lamenting that he'd wished he had been able to enjoy himself more.

Saori remembered the almost unimaginable agony that had spread through her body, the pain as she felt the knife bite into her stomach over and over, the warm sensation of her blood seeping from her body. The hot, sharp sensation of each stab reverberated through her frame as Yukihiro thanked her for giving her life. She'd sobbed louder then before, her body trembling as she shook with pain. He'd slapped her at one point, told her to stop struggling, because it wouldn't make any difference. The pain of his hand was dwarfed by the pain ripping through her belly.

And, indeed, Yukihiro had plunged his knife into he stomach one last time before cutting downwards. Saori didn't clearly recall, but… he'd cut her open, hadn't he?

The feeling in her body was beginning to fade away. She was capable of perceiving less and less, her vision fading. Slowly, her mind found a sort of sorrowful serenity, as she realized she was going to die.

Saori didn't want to die. She wanted to see her family again. Her friends. She wanted to complete her education and work as a doctor when she became an adult. She didn't understand why Yukihiro had done this. She didn't understand why she had to die.

Her life was ending in despair.

Saori have vaguely perceived something occurring. Lights and sound, Natsuki Yukihiro talking about something, or perhaps reciting something. She was nearly gone by this point, and everything had seemed like some kind of terrible, tragic dream. The faces of her friends and family had cycled in her mind over and over again as she lay dying. Her vision had begun to blur more and more, not merely from the fact that the life was steadily ebbing from her body, but because the room had seemingly become filled with mist.  
Was this because of her dying thoughts? She wouldn't live long enough to understand, she supposed, in a sort of morbid acceptance.

The pain in her body had dulled, but the pain of knowing her life was coming to an end was increasing by the second. Would anyone find her body? Would her family know what happened to her? She didn't know, and she'd never find out.

Saori remembered the lights growing brighter and brighter, as she barely managed to hold on. She knew she wouldn't survive, so why was she still trying to keep going? She didn't recall. All that she remembered was the lights suddenly growing their most brilliant, and then she saw… someone else? There was someone else in the room.

It was Caster, though she hadn't known such a thing at the time. She remembered hearing Yukihiro and Caster saying something to one another, but that wasn't all.

She remembered one thing in particular, something that stood out to her in what she thought were her last moments.

Caster had looked at her.

And asked if she could have that corpse.

She never heard Yukihiro's answer.

And yet…

She hadn't died.

* * *

When they arrived within the black spot, Caster was careful to ensure that Saori wasn't wounded. And, indeed, she wasn't. While, as a Dead Apostle, her body would be capable of restoring itself rather efficiently, they were up against other Servants. One of them could still easily slay her Master. Ah, she'd been so busy fine-tuning her plan she hadn't even realized that Saori had left… At least, not for a short time.

"… I'm… sorry, Caster…" Saori mumbled, "I wanted to meet everyone again… but when I got there, my throat started to feel so hot… everything smelled so good…"

The girl was sitting on her knees, leaning against the wall as she did. Within their current location, this was the only place that wasn't pitch black.

"It's not as if I don't understand, Master," replied Caster, standing over Saori as she spoke, "But you're not ready to go out like that, yet. Of course, I won't punish you or anything like that~"

She giggled. She had no intention of ever attempting to punish her Master, at least not in this particular fashion. But sometimes it was fun to tease her.

"But it was very dangerous for you, as well," Caster continued, "There's no way the enemy would ignore your presence, now, would they? You need to stay safe until you're ready, and the Holy Grail War has finished."

Saori nodded, slowly, looking away. It was clear she was still upset over what had happened. She'd been friends with one of the enemy Masters, then… that made things somewhat more difficult. Certainly, Caster herself had no qualms about unhesitatingly slaughtering every other participant in the war, but…

Her Master's feelings made some things rather more difficult. Still, she would do what she had to in order to obtain victory. If her Master didn't know, it wouldn't hurt her. Claiming the Grail was for Saori as well as herself, after all.

"You should simply relax, and let me handle everything, Master~" said the small, green-eyed Servant with a smile, "I'll ensure we obtain victory~"

"… You're always so concerned about me, Caster, but I haven't really done anything for you in return…" Saori shifted, averted her eyes as she did.

"… Oh? When I saved you, it was my own decision," replied Caster. The moment she had seen the dying girl, watching her bleed out, her body sliced open to expose her insides, she'd made the decision to revive her. Her disdain for Natsuki Yukihiro was solidified in an instant, when he revealed he was a simple killer who took pleasure in slaughter. Oh, certainly, Caster herself found joy in the pain and death of her enemies, but it was not simply the act of killing, the act of causing pain and suffering. It was the satisfaction of success.

… Perhaps saying she didn't take pleasure in pain was inaccurate, but there was a world of difference between herself and the man-shaped beast that had called itself Natsuki Yukihiro. She had done the planet a favor with her betrayal.

"All you need to do is stay safe, and praise my beauty and my performance as your Servant~ After all, my body is unquestionably, absolutely the picture of seduction, is it not~? So it should be easy to think of compliments~"

Of course, it was a simple duty that her Master had been given! Staying safe, and making it clear how beautiful and seductive Caster herself was. The magus Servant could handle everything else. Her plan was already advancing rapidly, after all…

It wouldn't be much longer until she was ready. She had already set up her workshop on top of one of the potential locations that the Holy Grail could descend. Caster had scouted out one of the other ideal spots, a parking garage, using her Dead prior to Yukihiro's death. She concluded that it was simply too difficult to safely establish her base of operations in such a location, and decided instead to move to the forest.

Specifically, these ruins. Caster wasn't familiar with the ins and outs of Minami City's history, but the burnt out ruins located in the forest were most certainly powerfully magical. The entire forest was, she could detect the activities of countless phantoms and other spiritual entities. No wonder the people of the city believed that it was haunted. They weren't incorrect.

For a necromancer like herself, there was no better place to establish a workshop then a place thriving with ghosts. After all, reanimation of corpses was simply one facet of her abilities. The manipulation of the spirits of the dead, for use as her eyes and ears, was just one of many skills she could utilize in order to secure her victory.

Caster had already encountered Saber and Lancer, and she had observed the other Servants as well. Berserker was hard to miss, after all. They were all powerful opponents, and yet…

Ah, they were all doomed. She had already prepared her perfect workshop, already utilized one of her Noble Phantasms, already found an excellent place to bolster her own capabilities… And she had someone to protect.

"… Um… you keep saying things like that, Caster, but I don't think I'm very good at that sort of thing…" mumbled Saori after a moment, as she looked up at the Servant.

"Worry not~ Your appreciation is all I need," responded Caster, licking her lips. Yes… she had someone to protect now. Yukihiro had been such a fool, but she was glad about that. If had been more intelligent, he would have ensured that poor Saori was dead. Caster wouldn't have been able to preserve her life, even if it was by converting her into a Dead Apostle.

Caster had to work as hard as she could. Her plan had to be perfect. It wasn't merely for herself, but for Saori was well.

She wouldn't fail, for the sake of her Master. That was completely unrelated to the pleasure she would take in crushing every single one of her enemies.

Soon, she would be ready.

* * *

When they had met last night, Tsubaki told her everything. About the sudden appearance of Caster, the usage of far more dangerous undead, and the fate of Yumimura Saori. A Dead Apostle? Ai hadn't imagined she would ever encounter such a creature, a vampire of all things. And yet, it was difficult to consider this as nothing more then a creature of the night. After all, she had heard so much from Tsubaki, about how desperately she wanted to save her now… Ai didn't know what to do. She didn't think it was possible to save a dead Apostle, and yet Tsubaki seemed so determined to do so. What was she to do?

On top of that, this seemed to confirm that the black spot was Caster's doing. Not that there was much doubt, not when they knew the nature of all the other Servants. Or at least, how they appeared. The fact was simply that Ai didn't know of any other Servants in the war who would be capable of such a thing, especially given how Tsubaki had described her behavior.

But… did this mean that Yumimura Saori had somehow become Caster's Master, in addition to being a Dead Apostle? What had happened to Natsuki Yukihiro? Could it be that Caster killed her own Master?

"Ojou-sama, aren't you going to eat~?" came the voice of a pouting Marianne, who was currently petting a somewhat flustered Saber's head, "You've just been sitting there with a dazed look on your face~ I know that you must have a lot on your mind, but isn't it important to keep filling your stomach, too? I worked awfully hard…"

"A-ah… yes!"

The thick, fluffy pancakes that Marianne had chosen to make, another more western dish, were delicious as usual. But Ai's mind couldn't help but wander. If Archer was contacting all the Masters, because his Master had been told to send him to do so by the Overseer… that meant that the black spot endangered the Grail War as a whole, and perhaps even the city itself. Was it because it could threaten the secrecy of magecraft, or because it was truly that dangerous?

Either way, it had to be stopped.

The small brunette glanced towards Saber. At the moment, she had already finished her breakfast, and was squirming a little as Marianne petted her head, toying with the errant strands of hair that stuck up in a crescent shape. Charlotte simply watched in silence, standing near the wall.

Part of her wanted to try and talk to Saber, about those feelings. After yesterday, they'd become even stronger… but how would a Heroic Spirit think of hearing such a conversation? How would a Servant feel about hearing such words from her Master? It was too much to bear thinking about, even as she tried to focus on her pancakes more than anything else. It was hard to avoid those thoughts, however, and she found herself continuously glancing towards Saber between bites of her meal. Trying to ignore the quickening of her heartbeat as thoughts of Saber cycled through her mind, Ai instead tried to consider the day ahead.

Based on what Archer had explained, the plan was to have the participants in the Holy Grail War band together in order to mount an attack on the black spot. Given the situation, that meant an attack on Caster. Before she learned about the giant undead, she would have assumed that this would be the end of Caster. No matter how capable she was, the rest of the war's combatants targeting her would be the end of her. However, if she could create such strong undead that Lancer was in genuine danger, that meant that she had likely been holding back before, when Yukihiro was her Master.

As a result, there was no way to be sure just what Caster was capable of. Ai couldn't begin to guess just who Caster was, although all the current clues were beginning to point towards someone from Norse mythology. But even then, that hardly indicated her identity. Even being female didn't help. While it was unlikely many other figures in history were female when they had been recorded as male, the fact that Okita Souji was a girl meant that gender wasn't always the best indication of identity.

It meant it was difficult to plan. What if Caster had some method of countering a large number of enemies that they were currently unaware of? What if she had some as of yet unknown skills that gave her some kind of advantage against one of the other Servants? There were so many variables that were impossible to plan for, and it made Ai worry more and more the more she thought about it. Why was she so concerned when the odds were so clearly in their favor…? Maybe the other Masters and Servants would have suggestions…

Marianne spoke again, her words immediately cutting through Ai's thoughts.

"Fufu, I can see why ojou-sama keeps staring at you, Saber-chan~" said the maid, refusing to stop petting the Servant's head. After a moment, Saber blushed, flustered at the implications of the maid's words.

"I-I… that's simply because you're being strange, Marianne-san!" declared the girl samurai, managing to tug away from the maid, who stepped away with a catlike smile.

Ah… Marianne had noticed? Ai felt the heat spreading through her cheeks with embarrassment. One of her maids had seen the way she was looking at Saber like that… Aaah, she hadn't wanted to let anyone know. It sounded like Saber didn't realize it, though, having assumed it was because Marianne's highly clingy and teasing attitude. She… didn't want Saber to know. She was too afraid to let Saber know.

"Master, it's not as if I find Marianne-san annoying or anything, but… but she's so clingy! I don't need to be touched all the time…" complained the platinum blonde girl. Marianne's catlike smile grew wider.

"Fufufu, I cook for you, don't I~?" she asked, cocking her head to one side as she spoke, "Consider my hands-on time with you as payment for my services, Saber-chan~"

"B-but… I don't think that's…" Saber trailed off, realizing it was rather difficult to argue with the maid.

Ai wasn't sure what to say. She was still flushed with embarrassment at the fact that her look had been noticed, looking squarely down at her lap. She'd commented on Saber's good looks before, but that was hardly the same as something like this. The short girl hadn't minded, really, being heard when she was saying such things, but being seen staring… she simply didn't want Saber to find out.

She wasn't sure if she was thankful or not, however, that her Servant seemed entirely oblivious to her reaction. Maybe she just wasn't used to these kinds of things…?

Finally, Ai managed to speak again.

"M-Marianne-san really doesn't seem t-to know about personal space…" she commented, trying not to show her own embarrassment and instead shift the topic back to the maid, who simply giggled.

"Hmm, but really, I shouldn't be the only one accepting payment…" she said, seemingly ignoring Ai's words. Saber glanced over her shoulder warily, as the white-haired maid backed up towards her twin, taking the identical girl by her shoulders and guiding her towards the Servant.

"A-ah, onee-san…" Charlotte was, for once, showing some level of emotion, quite surprised and a little uncertain when it came to her older sister's actions. But she wasn't exactly resistant, either, as the both of them stopped behind Saber, who gave them a look that seemed to be begging not to be messed with any more.

Of course, this likely encouraged Marianne.

"Go on, Charlotte-chan!" declared the maid, "Pet her on the head! Her hair is so soft, and she's really cute!"

"U-um… but she's a guest…. Onee-san, it feels kind of wrong…" for the moment, Charlotte's more stoic behavior had wavered.

"We've been working hard, haven't we? So it's okay to indulge in Saber-chan's body!" declared Marianne, with an air of triumph.

"P-please don't say it like that, onee-san…"

"Please stop treating me like a pet dog…" protested Saber, clearly picking up on an entirely different part of the conversation then everyone else had.

Ai tried not to think about it too hard, as tempting as it was to let her mind wander. She was still too worried about how Saber would react to knowing how she felt…

Aside from Marianne's attempts to get her flustered sister to pet Saber's head and play with her hair, breakfast went mostly as usual after that point, though Ai barely said anything. It was only when the maids had left the room that the short brunette managed to say anything else.

"So… Saber, er… we should make a plan for today, even before we meet Inoue-san and Lancer…" began Ai, banishing all of her previous thoughts from her mind as she did. Or at least trying to. To be honest, she had no idea where to begin with planning out the attack on the black spot, and believed that there would really be no hope when it came to figuring anything out until all the combatants had arrived, but… Ai wanted to avoid talking about anything else, at the moment.

"You think so? I thought it would be more effective to wait until we at least met the both of them, but… hmm…" Saber looked thoughtful.

"Um… yes, but… um… some kind of vague idea at least, um… of how we'll approach today… since we'll be meeting the other Masters too, um…" Ai stumbled over herself. Aah, she was hoping Saber would forge ahead and start talking about strategies, but maybe they just didn't know enough about the black spot yet…

"Er… well, the best plan would just be to meet up with the other participants in the Holy Grail War, then," Saber replied, "I just don't think it's a good idea to figure out what kind of strategy we'll use before we can talk to them."

"Th-that's… yeah…" Ai replied, trailing off.

"Is something wrong, Master?" asked Saber, cocking her head slightly to one side. Ah… it was obvious she was thinking about something else, wasn't it? Her Servant had finally managed to pick up on her discomfort…

But what could she say? Ai didn't want to say anything that would give away her feelings, not when she had no idea how Saber would respond to them.

"Um… what… what do you think of me, Saber?" she finally blurted out, and immediately wished she hadn't. That was too obvious, wasn't it? Saber would know exactly what she was talking about, there was no way she would possibly miss something as obvious as that, right?

"… What I think of you? Hmmm…" Saber began, apparently doing just that, "… Well, it's like I told you before… you're a Master I'm proud to call my own."

"A-ah…" just hearing her Servant say something like that made Ai's heartbeat quicken.

"… And… I guess since you keep saying all those sorts of things to me, too, er…" the girl samurai paused for a moment, "Well… I guess you're pretty cute, too! Is that the kind of thing you wanted to hear? I don't really understand it, but if it makes you happy…"

Ah… Saber… thought she was cute? Even if it was from a perspective like this, where she didn't really understand how to talk about that sort of thing, she'd said it just like that…

"U-um, um, th-that's… u-um you didn't have to say that s-sort of thing it's okay I… um…" Ai tried to articulate her thoughts.

For a few moments, the platinum blonde girl watched her in silence. As if she was thinking about something, blushing faintly for a moment herself.

But then she spoke.

"I'm sorry for embarrassing you, er… you say that kind of thing about me, so I just thought you liked it," she replied, scratching the back of her head with an awkward chuckle.

"U-um, no, it's fine! I liked it er… thank you…" responded Ai. Ah, she was making a fool of herself, and doing that in front of Saber was unacceptable for many more reasons then the obvious. Not only was she her Servant, but… "Maybe we should just get going and talk to Inoue-san and Lancer soon, eh-heheheh…"

Saber nodded. "That would likely be for the best, to be honest. I don't think we're really accomplishing much planning, here, eh-heh…"

Aaaah, this was all one big screwup, wasn't it? Not as if she should have expected anything else. At least Saber didn't seem to react badly at all… or really figure out what it was Ai was thinking about.

The small brunette took a deep breath. She had to focus on the Grail War, anyway. There was no time to be thinking about her Servant in such a way.

"Um, in… in that case, let's get going…" Ai said, turning to head out the door. Naturally, Saber followed. Unlike the other day, there was no lighthearted chatting. Given that they would likely be facing off against Caster again, and the importance of assembling a plan with the other Masters in order to do this, it was hard to feel so energetic and cheerful. No, the small brunette felt like today was something of a do or die moment, that she had to focus as much as possible. She didn't want to let her Servant down when the time came to attack the black spot, after all.

Not that there was much she could do to help, anyway… given their opponent absolutely was Caster, no matter what Saber said, there was no way that Ai's magecraft would pose a threat to someone like that. Maybe if she managed to take her completely by surprise, as unlikely as that was, she might be able to do something. But the fact was that there was almost no chance of that happening. Ai was hardly a stealthy person.

But she would see what the other Masters would have to say. Provided they chose to show up, at least. It was somewhat risky, exposing yourself like this… If other Masters felt that way, it wasn't as if they couldn't discuss strategy with the other Servants. Though… Ai couldn't help but feel nervous about having any kind of chat with Rider, and she doubted it was even possible to have any kind of conversation with that hulking monster of a Berserker-class Servant. At least it seemed like talking to Archer would be easy…

But first, it was time to meet Tsubaki and Lancer. They had agreed to meet near the café they had first forged their alliance at, so that Tsubaki could update Saber and herself on any new developments with Archer.

Indeed, soon enough, they could see Tsubaki and Lancer. The former was wearing shorts and a white t-shirt, the latter a light blue dress and wide-brimmed straw hat with a ribbon.

"Inoue-san, Lancer," she called to them, as the approached.

Saber was right to business, this time.

"Have you spoken with Archer again?" she asked, almost immediately. Tsubaki nodded.

"He said he'd follow up with us today, that there was one more Master he had to speak to before everyone met," she said. For a few moments she was silent. "… To be honest, I don't want to wait. I know Caster has Saori-san…"

Ai didn't know what to say. She knew that Tsubaki had been friends with Saori… But… would it be any good for her if they tried to attack now, rather then waiting for a more comprehensive strategy? Or… what if it would be more dangerous for the girl if they waited? Would any of the other Masters be willing to spare a Dead Apostle? There wasn't any kind of easy answer for Tsubaki…

"… Master, we must be cautious," Lancer asserted, "There is no way of knowing just how dangerous this black spot is. In fact, we are not currently sure what it is at all."

"I don't know how much I like trusting the other Masters, but I'm sure they'd rather not risk the secrecy of the Holy Grail War and let something like this keep going," added Saber, "Right, Master?"

"A-ah, um…" Ai nodded, weakly, trying to collect herself, "Right!"

"… That's what I'm worried about," said Tsubaki, folding her arms across her chest, averting her eyes, "A Dead Apostle struggling to control herself… they'd think of her as nothing more than a threat, wouldn't they?"

The same thought had occurred to Tsubaki, too… There was no easy solution. How did you save someone who had become a vampire? Ai knew that some of their kind were capable of controlling themselves, but from what she had heard about Saori, that didn't seem to be the case for her. She had nearly bitten Tsubaki… but it was too cruel, far too cruel, to sentence someone like that to death. It hadn't been Saori's fault, had it? But when they had no idea what happened… How did they begin to solve it?

"I don't want some bastard who doesn't care about anything but himself deciding to end her life just because it's convenient," Tsubaki spat, as if the very thought of such a magus filled her with anger. There were far too many magi like that, weren't there… It was how a magus was meant to think. Analytical, logical, cutting themselves off from their emotions and doing whatever it took to advance their craft. In practice, some magi were more dedicated to these ideals then others, but the fact remained that it was possible that one of the other Masters would be such a magus.

"I… I don't think Yumimura-san deserves to die, either, er…" Ai hesitated. What could she really say…? "B-but… she's contracted with Caster, isn't she? Caster called her 'Master'. Before we can even try to help Yumimura-san, we need to defeat her Servant."

It was too confusing, to be honest. Caster had switched Masters, and while it was likely Caster was responsible for Yumimura Saori's current state of vampirism, from what Tsubaki had explained it almost seemed as if Caster was treating her in a tender, protective fashion. Ai just couldn't understand.

"Master, I will do everything I can to aid you in your goals," said Lancer, "If that means devoting myself to the rescue of Yumimura Saori, then I shall dedicate this transient body to that purpose."

"As long as we're allies, I'll help out too!" declared Saber, confidently, "Yumimura-san sounds like she's a victim. I might be a manslayer, but that doesn't mean I can't devote my skills to saving somebody, as well!"

"… Saber said it better then I could…" Ai added. Even if she didn't know how, she would help Tsubaki. Even if they were destined to be enemies in the Holy Grail War once more, that didn't change the fact that Tsubaki had been so kind to her from the moment they met. On top of that, Yumimura Saori hardly deserved to suffer for the fate that had been forced on her. "But I still think we need to wait, we don't know what Caster's done with that black spot."

"… Even Ai-san's being assertive, huh?" commented Tsubaki, with a smile.

"Hawawawa… s-sorry!" cried Ai, waving her hands.

"No. Don't worry about it," responded the black-haired girl, "I understand. We'll save Saori-san even if the other Masters are around. Charging in blindly could be more dangerous to Saori-san then waiting. I'll trust you on this."

Ai let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Tsubaki would misunderstand her, but it seemed like her ally had realized that just charging in could be dangerous for Yumimura Saori, too.

"Howdy."

It was at that moment that Archer seemed to appear, seemingly from no-where. Of course, this was something any Servant was capable of performing, a transition to spirit form, but it still succeeded in making Ai jump when she heard the cowboy Servant's voice.

"I hope I didn't interrupt you ladies havin' a conversation," he commented, tipping his hat as he looked around at the others. By his side stood the familiar girl, Marion, silently regarding Saber, Lancer, and the two Masters. How she had managed to get here without being noticed was hard to discern, but as she wasn't human so it wasn't impossible to imagine some possibilities.

Both Saber and Lancer acknowledged Archer's presence, and Tsubaki stepped forward to speak with the gunslinger.

"It's fine, it wasn't important," she said, simply. Ai was concerned that Archer would inform his Master about Saori's nature as a Dead Apostle, and she could assume that Tsubaki was worried about the same thing. Hopefully Archer hadn't heard very much… For that matter, hopefully Marion hadn't been, either. "So, I take it you talked to the other Masters? What are we supposed to do now?"

"Well, the little lady in charge 'a Berserker said she wasn't interested in a ceasefire," replied Archer. She wasn't? Why was that? Any participant in the Holy Grail War should be concerned with the secrecy of the ritual and ensuring no-one took over one of the sites where the Grail could manifest, right?

"But… why?" Ai asked, unable to hold back her confusion.

"Dunno," responded the cowboy Servant, with a shrug, "Somethin' about bein' told to kill all the other Servants, not to ally with anybody. She tried to send Berserker after me, too, so I got outta there pretty fast."

So the Einzbern girl was set on eliminating all the other Servants without even considering a temporary ceasefire for the sake of the War? And yet she had tried to ask for a surrender when they'd first encountered her… It was another case of strange behavior on part of the little girl. Ai just couldn't figure out what was going on with her. Even if she had only interacted with her briefly, she seemed innocent, and yet willing to kill… It was unusual, and Archer's experience made it even moreso.

"… Anything else?" asked Tsubaki, somewhat apprehensive after learning that Berserker's Master refused to participate in a ceasefire.

"Well, obviously Caster's not gonna join," Archer began, "Aside from that, we're gonna be meetin' the other Masters near the forest. I'm sure you can get all of your answers there."

"So we're definitely going to be mounting the attack today?" Saber asked.

"Yeee-up. If all goes well, at least," the Archer-class Servant replied. Everything going well was all that Ai could hope for.

So they really would be mounting the attack today, then? It was kind of what Ai expected, but that didn't help make her any less nervous.

"When are we meeting, then?" questioned Lancer, arms folded.

"As soon as possible, though I reckon we're gonna wait until sunset to start attackin'. Don't wanna draw too much attention to ourselves," Archer stretched as he spoke, rolling his shoulders.

"Won't that alert Caster to our presence?" asked Saber. "If we're amassing right outside of the forest, where her base is, er… she'd notice, right?"

Archer nodded.

"That's right. But my Master thinks we can stop her from tryin' to mount a counterattack simply by bein' there," the cowboy Servant explained, "It'd be pretty hard for a Caster-class Servant to attack a bunch of enemy Servants, so he's thinkin' she'll be more inclined for defense rather than offense."

It wasn't as if it didn't make sense. Directly attacking so many other Servants seemed like a downright suicidal move for Caster, no matter how strong she was. At the same time, it still allowed her to prepare a strong defense, didn't it? Then again, perhaps it was hard to avoid an outcome like that. Any magus would ensure their workshop had some kind of strong defenses, and Ai doubted Caster would be any different. Perhaps mounting an attack from as close to the forest as possible really was the better plan. Still, the more that the small brunette thought about the upcoming fight, the more nervous she became. Would everything work out okay, or would something disastrous happen? There was no way of knowing…

"I am… not certain I agree, Archer," commented Lancer, frowning somewhat as she did, "But I can tell it is far too late to search for a new meeting place. I will accept the hand we have been dealt."

"If we're supposed to be meeting as soon as we can, shouldn't we get going?" Tsubaki asked, turning to leave as she did. "There's no sense wasting any more time."

"Got a point there, ma'am," responded Archer, "Marion can lead the way, I'm not exactly dressed for a stroll."

There was no way anyone would miss a foreigner dressed up like a cowboy walking down the street, so she was hardly surprised when the gunslinging Servant dissipated into golden lights, and the little girl took the lead. She didn't say anything, simply watching as Archer vanished, before quietly gesturing towards the others and heading in the direction of the forest.

"Hmm… so, why is this forest so important, that Caster decided to set up her workshop there?" Saber asked, glancing at the others.

"Um… well, I know it's one of the places the Grail can appear at, but I feel like there might be more to it than that," Ai responded. Did it have something to do with all the phantoms that inhabited the forest?

"The way I see it," began Tsubaki, "Caster is a necromancer, someone with the ability to reanimate and manipulate the dead. The Harazuki Forest is filled with all kinds of spirits, phantoms of the dead and naturally-occurring phenomena. If that's the case, she's probably using those phantoms somehow."

"Ah… so it's not just that she can animate the dead, but she can call ghosts to her side, too?" Saber wondered, "Well… my blade can surely cut even spirits! We're Servants, after all, we're just as much spiritual beings as a ghost is! … Cutting ghosts seems like it would be pretty heroic, too…"

For a brief moment, Ai was taken out of her thoughts by the fact that her Servant was, rather adorably, seriously considering the fact that cutting ghosts sounded like something a hero would do. Wasn't she already a heroic spirit? It was silly to hear her wondering out loud about something like that, and for a few moments that cut the tension. Even Tsubaki, who was laser focused on the battle ahead, and the rescue of Yumimura Saori, couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Eh?" Saber looked confused, "Was it something I said?"

Ai couldn't resist the urge to giggle, as well, but it was a short-lived period of levity. Even if the behavior of her Servant had caught her attention, it didn't last. There was yet another concern, and that was the fact that Caster could very well be utilizing the phantoms that inhabited Harazuki Forest as part of her defensive force, as well. While she knew, as spiritual beings, Servants were capable of harming such creatures, that still left them as a considerable threat when it came to the Masters.

Additionally, there was a high possibility of Caster being capable of summoning more undead, other creatures aside from giants and human-based undead. Who knew what she was capable of? If only they had been able to think of some possibility when it came to her identity… But it was difficult to discern just who Caster could be.

Such knowledge would have been helpful leading up to the attack on the black spot, but it seemed to be out of reach for the moment.  
Maybe one of the other Masters would be able to offer some speculation on the identity of the enemy Servant… aaah, Ai just couldn't relax. Her heart was hammering in her chest as they made their way across town, towards the outskirts of Harazuki Forest.

If only they had been able to discover the nature of the black spot, as well. Was it a bounded field of some sort? One of Caster's Noble Phantasms? Or could it be something else?

The trip to the forest was absolutely nerve-wracking for the short brunette, and the battle had yet to even begin.

They were approaching the forest, by this point. Every once in a while, Marion glanced back at them. It was past midday, by this point, but it would be some time before the sun set. At least from here, Ai didn't spot anyone waiting for them. When were the other Masters going to arrive? This only made her feel more anxious for the coming fight. She felt terribly impatient, and yet she was also dreading the upcoming meeting as well. All of these people were her enemies, after all… Even if they weren't right now, the very nature of the Holy Grail War guaranteed that they would be soon.

As the group came to a halt at the edge of the forest, Archer rematerialized, the golden lights coalescing into the cowboy Servant's form once more.

"My Master should be comin 'round shortly," he said, turning away from the forest to face the others. "The others should be arrivin' soon, too."

From here, it was hard to believe the forest was at all haunted, or that there was anything unusual going on there at all. But as a magus, Ai could practically feel the pressure coming from the treeline. There absolutely was something going on there, even if it was difficult to understand what.

"Even the air feels heavy, here…" commented Tsubaki, as she eyed the Harazuki forest warily.

"There is no denying it, Caster is performing some of her wicked craft in this forest. Of what nature, I cannot be certain," Lancer commented.

"Ahh… well… whatever ghosts or dead she summons, I'll be ready!" declared Saber, folding her arms confidently. Once again, Ai found herself wishing she could share the confidence of her Servant, but at least they would have backup from a larger number of Servants. But they still had to make sure that Yumimura Saori was safe and unnoticed by the other Masters…

It was around that moment that someone else arrived.

He was a tall man, perhaps in his thirties, and foreign. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, and he was clad in a simple, dark suit with a red tie and white shirt. He had a somewhat refined air about it, and it was hardly difficult to guess he was from the Association itself, rather than a local participant. His features also had a refined look to them, as if he was a mature gentleman.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the other present Masters and Servants. Immediately, Archer and Marion stepped to his side, and he gave the both of them a nod as well, reaching out to pat the tiny familiar on her head as he did.

"I am Theomanius Lufpuo Occidens, Magus of the Clock Tower and the Master of Archer," he began, "It's a rare pleasure to meet fellow magi so accomplished that they were selected by the Holy Grail."

He gave each of them a warm smile. Archer looked away, seemingly to hide his expression. Was there something that bothered him?

"It's a shame we must meet as enemies, but perhaps we can take this opportunity to see beyond the war, if only for a short time," he continued.

"So you're the one who gave Archer all of those weird orders?" asked Saber, with a small frown. It was true, the strategies that Archer had been employing so far were undoubtedly unusual, and as stated by the gunslinging Servant it had been his Master's idea. Ai felt certain there was no chance he'd share the logic behind these orders, no matter how friendly he seemed to be.

"Ah, well… I suppose I am," he responded, "Regardless, I come here as an ally, albeit temporarily."

His blue eyes traveled over the group once more.

"Hmm, so, these are the entrants from the Matsushita and the Inoue families… good, good," he commented.

"A-ah? Um… y-you… did you know my parents?" Ai found herself asking. It almost sounded like they had met before… But she didn't recall ever knowing anyone like this.

"Ah? No, I'm afraid not," replied Theomanius. "Rather, when I became a Master in the second Minami Holy Grail War, I made it my business to have some awareness of previous participants in the war. The Matsushita and the Inoue, naturally, were among them."  
Wait…

"… If the last Holy Grail War was ten years ago… then…" Ai trailed off. Did that mean… her parents. Her parents had died ten years ago. If her family had participated in the first Minami Holy Grail War, then that meant that it lined up exactly with the time in which they had died. Did that mean they had died as participants in the previous Holy Grail War? She had never known how they had died. Whatever they had been doing, she was kept mostly in the dark.

"Ai-san?" Tsubaki asked, glancing towards the short brunette.

"… It's nothing…" Ai replied. She could feel Saber's eyes on her, and she knew her Servant had realized it wasn't nothing. But she couldn't let herself be distracted by these sorts of things right now… No, if she dwelled on those possibilities, she could very possibly let Saber, Tsubaki, and the others down. She couldn't do that. Not when there was so much at stake, and not when Yumimura Saori's life was on the line.

"I will admit, I am growing quite impatient," Lancer began, glancing towards the forest and folding her arms, "Caster is performing whatever foul craft that she wishes within the forest, and the longer it takes, the more time she has to perform such actions."

"I am too, but I think it's better to make sure we're ready," Saber responded, "Even if getting the chance to fight ghosts does sound pretty amazing…"

At least Saber's surprisingly cheerful attitude about getting to fight ghosts helped cut the tension again, if only for a moment.

"Now now, we've gotta be patient and we've gotta be cautious," Archer said, waving one hand, "No use 'n chargin' in without a plan."

"… I am aware, Archer," said Lancer, her tone somewhat sharp as she spoke, "But I cannot be happy about whatever acts that necromancer is conducting."

"Wasn't sayin' you should be," responded the cowboy Servant, calmly.

"Who said this gathering could begin without its Queen?" interjected another voice, this one instantly recognizable. There, approaching them, was the pink-haired Rider-class Servant, her body still clad in a furred white cloak. Queen Medb had arrived, and accompanying her…

Was that her Master? A tall man in a long jacket, Japanese, and not a foreigner, unlike Theomanius. He was in his late forties, at least, with short black hair. He said nothing, even as he approached. For some reason, he gave off a sort of imposing aura, and Ai felt somewhat anxious when she looked at him.

"It's rude!" insisted the pink-haired Rider, coming to a halt near the group, "Who would ever want to start any kind of meeting without me?"

Saber cast a glare towards her, unable to hide her feelings after that first conflict. Ai couldn't help but be nervous as well.

"Then perhaps you should have arrived earlier, Rider," noted Lancer, giving the other Servant a glare of her own.

"I had other things to do," responded Rider, with a dismissive wave of her hand. Her golden eyes soon fell on Saber. "… Ah, there you are, Saber~"

"I'm not interested!" the girl samurai said almost immediately. It was hard to forget the way in which Medb had behaved after their clash.

"Oh?" Rider tilted her head, "That's fine~ I can fix that~"

The pink-haired Servant licked her lips, narrowing her eyes slightly as she looked Saber up and down.

"Rider," her Master finally spoke, preventing his Servant from attempting to elaborate on how she would 'fix' things. "Now is not the time."

"What? You're no fun," complained Medb, with a pout. "I just have the most boring Master, don't I? Hmph. If anyone wanted to take me away from him…"

It was hard to tell if Rider was joking, though her Master didn't seem to mind.

"Hirata Genjiro, Master of Rider," he introduced himself, with a bow, his voice rather calm and collected, unlike the attitude his Servant had displayed. "I am pleased to make your acquaintances."

"U-um… I'm Matsushita Ai, Master of Saber…" Ai introduced herself, realizing she had failed to do so beforehand. Though it did seem as if Theomanius didn't exactly need the introduction.

"Inoue Tsubaki, Master of Lancer," said Tsubaki, shortly. She didn't exactly look pleased to be in the presence of Rider again, and it wasn't as if Ai didn't share those feelings. Saber and Lancer certainly weren't hiding their animosity. It was hard to forget being attacked in the middle of the street, nearly run over by a chariot.

"And with Theomanius, that means all three Masters of the Knight classes have chosen to make themselves present… good," commented Genjiro, with a nod of his head. "Even without Berserker, it's unlikely Caster will be able to mount an effective defense with that in consideration."

"While I'm confident in our victory, given we are up against a single Servant, I can't say I would have minded the assistance of Berserker," said Theomanius, "To think, the Einzbern had decided to enter this Holy Grail War as well…"

"There's hardly any reason to be here," added Genjiro, "I doubt Caster would be capable of fending off the three Knights."

"That would be so dull!" complained Medb, "This is why you're boring!"

"We don't know what her capabilities are," Theomanius asserted, "In a direct fight, I'm certain she would be unable to emerge victorious, but this is a battle where she has established some sort of bounded field and can use the location to her advantage. Caution is advised when there are so many unknowns."

"I'd be enough, anyway," declared Rider with a wave of her hand, "My Master might be boring, but at least he's a decent sack of meat to use for a mana supply~ There's no way anyone else can win this war, so I don't know why you don't just surrender right now~ Maybe start by bowing down and begging to service me…"

Her golden eyes once again lingered on Saber. Ai shifted nervously. The pink-haired Rider's attitude had been one of her biggest concerns coming here in the first place…

"Such vulgar words have no place here, Rider," said Lancer, with narrowed eyes, "You should be ashamed of yourself for such openly lewd behavior."

"Ashamed? Excuse me? What ever does the Queen have to be ashamed of?" Rider cocked her head to the side, "Can you tell me, Lancer? Mmm, maybe you're just projecting your own self-doubts onto me~ Were you perhaps unable to please the one you loved in life? Are you the one who should be ashamed?"

"You…!" Lancer stepped forward, her cavalry lance materializing in her hand, gripped tightly. Cautiously, glaring at Rider herself, Tsubaki placed a hand on her Servant's shoulder.

"I don't like her either, but we need to stay focused, Lancer," she said, tightening her grip on the knight's shoulder slightly.

"Master…"

"Oh no, what ever shall I do!" cried Medb, in a mocking fashion, "I know we're not here to fight. So all that is just bluster~ but believe me, I look forward to crushing you under my heel. I think you should look forward to it too~"

"Rider, this… this… this isn't the time for that!" Saber declared, narrowing her eyes as she stepped towards Rider as well, "How could you be thinking of that kind of thing right now, when we're about to take on Caster?"

"Fufufu," Medb simply approached Saber, surprising her when she reached up to run a finger across the surprised samurai's collar. Flustered, the silvery-haired girl stepped back and away from the Rider-class Servant, and Ai quickly took to Saber's side in a bid, though she was uncertain of what to say.

"Are you saying you think there is a time for this, Saber~?" Rider said, licking her lips, "Well well~ You're already tempted, then~"

"O-of course not!" snapped Saber, embarrassed. Ai, flustered herself, could tell that Saber's inexperience with such… amorous behavior was causing her to become increasingly nervous. She simply didn't know how to deal with Rider's actions.

"Now now, ladies, I dunno what might be between you," Archer said, approaching the two of them and waving her hands, "But I'm gonna have to agree with Saber here. This just isn't the time."

"Oh, jealous, Archer~?" questioned Medb, cocking her head towards the blonde cowboy as she spoke, "Don't worry, I'm willing to give you plenty of attention, too~"

Rider let out a sigh.

"Ah, if only Berserker wasn't such a raging beast~ Well, I wouldn't mind if he acted that way in bed…"

What kind of conversation was this?! Queen Medb really was the Lady of Many Affairs, wasn't she?!

"Anyway, it's like I said~" continued Medb, "Caster simply wouldn't be able to stand up to me~ There's no way she could counter my capabilities. I don't care what she has set up~"

"… As impatient as I feel at the moment," began Lancer, "Such overconfidence could easily be your downfall, Rider. A hero is brave, but not foolish."

"I'm certainly not a fool," responded Medb, smiling. "From atop my chariot, the dead, even the larger types, would find it difficult to attack me directly~ Whatever that black spot is, I have a way to… crack it!"

She clapped her hands together to punctuate her statement.

For the most part, the four Masters were silent. This was simply because, at least as far as Ai was concerned, it was difficult to get a word in when the conversation was between Servants. These were legends of the past, after all.

When it came to Genjiro, it just seemed like he barely spoke in general.

"I'm a manslayer who fought enemies head on all the time, but it's not like I just blindly charged into battle without a strategy," stated Saber, "No matter how confident I am, having a plan only makes it even more likely that I'll win!"

"What, you think I don't have a plan? I wasn't known as a warrior queen for nothing, you know," responded Rider, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't know what Caster is capable of, or what that black spot is," Saber insisted, "As much as I want to try cutting ghosts right now, we're supposed to be working together!"

"… You want to try cutting ghosts?" asked Rider, tilting her head, "How… cute. What a silly person you are, Saber~ That makes me want you even more."

"Eh? Silly? I…" the girl samurai trailed off, before shaking her head. "It doesn't matter! The point is that we're supposed to be putting the Grail War aside for now and working together, not fighting on our own!"

"I never said I was going to," responded Medb, "But I could. That's all."

Archer sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. To Ai, it looked like he had just about as much of an idea of how to deal with this situation as she did. Medb seemed to be enjoying teasing Saber, and Lancer to a lesser extent. The only reason that she wasn't going after Archer seemed to be because he wasn't participating in the conversation. On top of that, Medb had made her desires… quite apparent.

Given the legend of the Queen of Connacht, it was hard to say such a thing was surprising.

"So you were attempting to fish for a reaction? Are you so hungry for attention, Rider?" asked Lancer, with a frown. "Such actions are unbecoming of a Heroic Spirit."

"Didn't we have that conversation earlier?" replied Rider, "I have nothing to be ashamed for, and nothing the Queen does can be considered unbecoming, if that's what she wishes."

"Is that what it means to be a ruler to you, Queen of Connacht?" Lancer's tone was sharp, severe. She clearly wasn't pleased with the viewpoints Rider had made obvious that she held, "Someone who can do whatever they please, whenever they want?"

"Quite simply, that's the privilege of royalty," said Medb, "My people would gladly bow down and kiss my feet and throw their lives away for me for whatever purpose I chose. My beauty and grace illuminated their lives, so that was the gift they had in return for their loyalty~"

So Queen Medb was the sort of person who believed her very presence was the reason for her people's happiness? She clearly have no problem utilizing those who lived under her rule as tools.

"Besides, it's not as if I never did anything for them. A ruler controls their lands and keeps the people safe, and in exchange, the people pledge their loyalty, praise them, and throw their lives away for whatever their ruler desires. That is the privilege of one who rules a nation."

"… I was no queen, but I can see there is no way to reconcile our views," Lancer folded her arms, her weapon dissipating into light as she glared at the Queen of Connacht, "To view one's people as tools is absolutely not an acceptable approach for one who seeks to rule."

"Oh? So what do you think? Can you even make a suggestion, as someone who never stood in command of a country?" questioned Medb, a look of amusement on her face.

For a few moments, Lancer was silent.

"… There was a ruler in my time, who sought to unite everyone for their betterment. To light the world with knowledge, and to improve their lives," she started, "That is the kind of person I believe who should be king. What say you, Saber?"

"Ah? Er…" Saber hesitated for a moment, "I guess… I'm… If someone seeks to be a leader of their people, shouldn't the first thing in their mind be making sure their people are safe? Then making their lives better, making sure nothing can threaten them… I guess nothing I said sounds as grand as any of that, but that's what makes sense to me…"

When it came down to it, none of this was anything that Ai was familiar with. She didn't live in a world similar to that of her Servant, nor of Lancer or Rider. It was difficult for her to try and think about what viewpoint she agreed with. But… at the very least, she didn't like the sound of a ruler who believed their people were tools. Ai knew that much, even if she wasn't able to give a perspective on anything else.

"So that's what you think?" mused Rider, "That's fine. I can grind my viewpoint into you bit by bit, until you're happy to be dominated~"

"… I'm not gonna pretend to know anythin' about kings and queens and whatever kinda ruler," interjected Archer, "Not my thing, never was, never will be. The law 'n me just never got along, I guess. But I reckon not a single one of you is gonna to be leanin' one way or another in this argument."

Saber spoke up, next.

"It's not just that," she began, "We're not here to debate amongst one another. That black spot's right over one of the places the Holy Grail can appear, isn't it? But it's not just that. If we ignore it, can't it threaten the city? And the secrecy of the Holy Grail War? That's what's important right now."

She folded her arms.

"We're here to fulfill a duty as allies, right now!" she declared, "I wasn't any kind of king or ruler in life, but I had a job I was dedicated to, and right now, I'm here to fulfill a job too. We'll go back to being enemies after this, but that's not what we are right now!"

Rider giggled.

"Well, it's not like I'm not looking forward to playing with Saber like this, too," she commented, brightly. There really was no way to make her stop, was there?

Theomanius cleared his throat, the first of the four Masters to speak for a long time.

"Assassin's Master will be arriving soon as well. We can start our planning as soon as she does so," he explained.

"Excellent," responded Genjiro, "There's no denying the black spot must be dealt with."

She? So Assassin's Master was a girl, then? By this point, the sun was slowly setting. The location they had chosen to meet at was somewhat more isolated, distant from more public locations, but even with that in mind it was best to wait until sunset before initiating any kind of attack, to avoid as much attention as they possibly could. Of course, it's likely Caster would be expecting that.

"Good. I can't imagine Caster doesn't know we're here," Tsubaki commented, with a sigh, as she glanced towards the Harazuki Forest, "I understand why we're waiting, but the longer we wait, the more time she has to plan."

It was at that moment when Assassin's Master arrived. One of the first things Ai noticed about her was her manner of dress, a fine kimono, patterned with flowers and leaves. The other was her physical appearance. Her eyes were a dark shade of red, with long, silky black hair. Her features were soft, and incredibly beautiful. There was no way the small brunette could consider her to be anything else. She looked, perhaps, to be in her early twenties. In one hand she held a fan, and with a flick of her wrist she revealed a dragon printed on its outer side.

"Shimada Yukiko," she began, "Master of Assassin. My my, what an assortment we have here… my Servant informed me about all of you, but meeting you in person is quite a different experience."

Ai's heartbeat quickened when she saw Assassin, fox mask once again covering her face, emerge from her Master's shadow.

It was hard not to be worried, given their last encounter was an attempt on her life, but at the moment the Servant simply stood behind the kimono-clad woman, completely silent, her expression impossible to read under the mask. The small brunette reassured herself, quickly, that there was no reason for Assassin to attack at the moment, that they were here as a team to defeat Caster, that there was no way that Assassin's Master would be so foolish as to signal her Servant to attempt an Assassination when here were so many other Servants around. It would be difficult to miss, even with so many shadows.

"Don't worry, Master," Saber said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, smiling brightly, "Nothing bad is going to happen!"  
Ai could only hope that would be the case.

"Provided that we assemble a suitable strategy, at least," said Assassin's Master, "Speaking of which, let's not delay any longer."

"Agreed. Archer's capabilities are best when he has range on the target, naturally, so I believe it's best that he takes a support position from a distance, attacking from a range to keep pressure on and allow the other Servants to make their advance," said Theomanius.

"There's nothin', alive or dead 'n this case, that I can't shoot," added Archer, "I've got no complaints about taken' up that kinda role. Was gonna be my suggestion anyway."

"In that case, I am capable of taking a direct offensive position. A frontal assault is what I am most suited for," stated Lancer, before pausing and glancing back over at Tsubaki. "Provided my Master does not see any other use for me."

Tsubaki shook her head.

"I don't think there's anything else you'd be better at," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "You can break through almost anything."

"Thank you, Master," replied Lancer, with a small smile, "If I could make a suggestion, I believe Saber and myself are best suited to the main assault."

This time, Ai decided to step up. It's what she had been thinking, as well. Saber's capabilities were in closing the distance between herself and her enemy as quickly as possible and a high damage output at close range. She was deadly in melee, but at range it seemed like she had few options. Which was why her ability to close distance was so important.

"Saber's great at melee, so she can get in close and fast and cut her way through, especially if she's teamed up with Lancer," said Ai. After all, it wasn't as if she had any doubts when it came to her Servant's capabilities, "A frontal assault teamed up with Lancer makes the most sense, to me."

"That's right! Cutting down the enemy at close range, that's what I'm best at!" declared Saber, confidently nodding as she spoke. Yes, having seen them fight together and knowing her own Servant's capabilities, Ai simply couldn't think of a better option when it came to the girl samurai's role in the coming battle.

"Do you really think I'm letting those two take the lead? I'm the one who's meant to be in charge," interjected Rider, brushing her long pink hair back as she spoke, "Naturally, I'll take part in the main assault as well! Not even my boring Master can say no to something like that, I'm perfect for leading the charge~"

"I suppose that was going to be my suggestion," intoned Genjiro, his voice still level and calm, "There's no sense in wasting Rider's capabilities."

"Hm… very well," Shimada Yukiko nodded her head as she spoke, "In that case… Assassin shall move through the shadows in order to reach the black spot, then eliminate any undead Caster attempts to summon from behind."

Unlike the others, Assassin said nothing. She simply remained completely silent. Whatever it was she was thinking, there was no way to tell beyond that mask.

It wasn't exactly the most complex or in-depth plan, but it was one that allowed for all sorts of adjustments. This was ideal, given that they had no idea what Caster's plans were. If something changed rapidly, they could make adjustments in order to compensate for whatever it was that Caster was doing. Sometimes a simple plan was the best kind of plan.

At least, that's what Ai was hoping would be the case. Saber seemed confident, at least…

"I see, that was easier then I had feared," said Theomanius, running a hand through his short hair. It seemed as if each Servant knew exactly what role they would fill best, when it came to the coming fight. Really, that wasn't unexpected. Each of them had a lifetime of experience, and they would naturally all know best what kind of position they would be most suited towards when it came to an assault like this. No matter how much Rider made her nervous, Ai could be certain that she knew what she was doing in battle, at least.

"Saber, Lancer, and Rider will form the main assault," continued the Clock Tower magus, "While Archer provides support from range and Assassin attacks the undead forces from the rear. Once we have reached the black spot, we will attempt to discern its nature before penetrating it and destroying it."

"Oh, are you forgetting someone?" said another voice, in a playful tone. This one was one Ai recognized, and when she turned to face its source… it was the overseer? There stood Estrizia, with a playful smile on her face. Almost immediately, Saber was eyeing her warily, and Lancer appeared to be glaring too… That made their feelings on the overseer abundantly clear, really.

"Oh, don't give me those looks," Estrizia commented, with a wave of her hand.

"O… overseer?" asked Tsubaki, "What are you doing here?"

"Well… I might not be able to fight a Servant myself, but…" the red-eyed nun tilted her head to the side, her smile becoming somewhat more… crooked. "You could say the Dead are something of my specialty."

She shrugged.

"Besides, I enlisted this gentleman," she gestured towards Theomanius, "To have his Servant do my job for me. The least I could do is assist in the cleanup~"

The way she spoke, her expression… it all seemed as if Estrizia was being pleasant and amicable. And yet… something about the way the blonde nun looked, something about her voice… it make Ai feel as if she wasn't here simply out of an obligation to Theomanius. It almost sounded as if the Overseer was excited. As if she felt some kind of glee at the idea of aiding in the slaying of Caster's summoned undead.

"Are you certain? As overseer, your position is quite important to the Grail War. If you were to be injured-" began Theomanius, but Estrizia cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"I have nothing to fear from the dead," she said, simply.

"If she wishes to risk her life, so be it," Genjiro said, simply, seeming to largely pay little attention to the Overseer. Rider, on the other hand, seemed to be quite pleased to see the blonde nun again. Quite pleased, in fact, was an understatement. Given what Ai knew about the two of them, she wasn't even sure if she needed to ask just why that was the case.

"… Very well," said Theomanius, "Then we should waste no further time. Is everyone ready?"

Beside her, Ai noticed the pink cherry blossom petal lights once more, as Okita summoned her katana, kimono, and scarf. In a flash of light, Lancer, too, donned her armor, her cavalry lance gleaming in the sunset.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Ai's heartrate was growing faster by the second, as the Servants prepared themselves in turn. They truly had not a clue what they were about to face, but there was no turning back now.

Rider summoned her chariot in a flash of light, climbing aboard it as she did. The two bulls pawed the earth, grunting and bellowing. From here, Ai could see that one of them was still missing a horn from the fight between Saber, Lancer, and Medb. With every second, it felt as if the air itself was about to explode more and more.

Assassin approached the forest, and then paused for a few moments, silent as usual. Archer, too, drew his revolver as he took several steps away from the rest of the group, taking careful aim ahead.

Ai took a deep breath, glancing towards Tsubaki. The tanned girl was also looking quite apprehensive. Though knowing her, the small brunette felt like it was unlikely Tsubaki was feeling anywhere near as nervous as she was.

And, just like that, the Servants were off. They had broken into a sprint into the forest, or rather in Medb's case spurred her bulls onwards. What awaited them within was whatever Caster had prepared to defend herself.

All that Ai could hope for was that they could stop her.

* * *

Even if she hadn't known they were there, her bounded field would have alerted her to their presence. But it wasn't as if Caster had been unprepared. Quite the opposite, really. At the moment, Saori was resting, and the dark-haired Servant felt there was no reason to awaken her. She hadn't created this bounded field, done all this work, and then left herself completely unprepared. She was no fool.

In an odd fashion, it almost felt nostalgic, as Caster rose to her feet, leaving her Master's side. Her clothing materialized, green light coalescing to form her golden ornamentation, the bone staff and decoration, her skirt, and her top. She gripped her staff firmly in her hand. She was well-prepared for this moment, indeed.

All around her, in the dark, the shapes of her dead appeared, spreading out from her position in a wave. The skeletal forms of long-dead dragons, frost giants standing tall and strong in spite of being long dead. Caster's smile spread into a into a wide grin. How… perfect. They would have no idea just want kind of force she had risen to meet them. Indeed, there was no question. Caster had no illusions about her own capabilities. No matter how powerful she was as a mage, she absolutely would fall in direct combat with those Servants.

Which was why she had no intention of fighting them all on her own. Her forces could take care of that.

But she was no fool. The dead were hardly guaranteed to claim victory, no matter how numerous and strong they were. After all, Caster was up against heroes. She was well-versed in the power of heroes, the extent to which they could defy fate itself. The nature of heroic spirits was unquestionably the same as those she had battled in life.

She would ensure the outcome would be the same.

Caster began to rise into the air. Yes, once, long ago, when she was still alive, she had faced heroes. And she had destroyed them. Only one had survived, and he had been the cause of her downfall.

She couldn't allow such a thing to happen again. She would never permit another survivor who could end her life.  
Caster approached the top of the enormous, black dome. When she came into contact with it, it rippled as she passed through the surface, and into the sunlight.

In life, she had planned carefully in order to destroy the heroes set against her. From the start, she had known exactly what she was dealing with. She had analyzed all of them, knew their capabilities. It was only through the tiniest mistake that one of those 'heroes' had been allowed to escape. It was a mistake she wouldn't be repeating.

Perhaps she had been so caught up in ensuring the death of her half-brother that she had failed to contemplate the fact that she may have missed something. But now there wasn't any time to dwell on past mistakes.

Caster's grin widened.

Now, it was time to spring her trap.


	8. Chapter 8

So far, Saber had yet to see a single enemy.

For that matter, it was difficult to see her allies through the forest as well. But she could sense their presence, and hear them. The rumbling of Rider's chariot, Lancer and Archer's footsteps, and, surprisingly, she felt certain those were the footsteps of the overseer as well. She wasn't exactly keeping pace with the Servants, but remarkably, she wasn't far behind either.

Reflecting on their first meeting, as long as the overseer didn't try anything funny, Saber could tolerate her presence. But this confirmed what she had expected: Estrizia was a killer, just as she was. No kind words could hide that.

The only one she couldn't sense was, unfortunately, the one she was most wary of: Assassin. However, no matter how she felt about the retainer of Oda Nobunaga, the fact was that it would be foolish for her to attempt to assassinate any of the other Masters at the moment.

The wind whipped past the girl samurai as she sprinted through the Harazuki forest. Phantoms and undead: Those were the enemies she should be expecting, were they not? But not simply human dead. By Lancer's account, there were giants among Caster's forces as well. There was quite a bit they didn't know about Caster's capabilities.

She had to be careful, but Saber was nothing if not confident! No matter what Dead she was up against, she'd cut them down one after another! This was where her skill lay, slicing through the enemy with her blade again and again without fail!

Saber swerved to avoid a tree, and heard then heard a chorus of 'twangs'. Almost immediately a hail of arrows whipped through the air towards her! Darting to her left to avoid them, she was greeted with another set of arrows, less, this time. She felt one tear past her cheek, dangerously close to her head, but the next was greeted with her blade! She split the arrow down the middle, slicing cleanly through it as she burst into a clearing!

There, a set of dozens of undead, wielding bows and ancient swords! These weren't the simple decrepit corpses that Caster had summoned before, each was armed!

Diving over a hail of arrows, off a large rock, the platinum blonde girl angled herself so that her foot made contact with one of the undead as it drew its bow once more, crumpling its chest cavity and sending it crashing to the ground. These dead looked almost fresh, their bodies exhibiting some level of decay but for the most part they looked as if they had died recently! And yet these were no modern civilians murdered to join Caster's forces. They were ancient, helmets and armor foreign to this land…

One sword came slicing through the air towards Saber as she straightened. Swiftly, she parried the blow and forced the undead soldier back, spinning in place to take the head of another. Not only were these dead armed, but their ability to react was much faster. They were far more 'alive' then the Dead Saber had faced previously! As she parried another blow, katana flashing, an axe came careening towards her as well!

Stepping back, Saber allowed it to cleave through the air just in front of her before tilting her body and slicing upwards. In one swing of her katana, she took the undead soldier's arm, and she brought it back down to cleave through its body from the head to its flank, sending the corpse to the ground in two pieces. These Dead were more dangerous, but Saber wouldn't be stopped! She danced away from the strike of a long, two-handed western sword, the undead who made the attack snarling. Before it could raise its weapon again, Saber swiftly put her katana through its head and sliced upwards, splitting its head in two before kicking the corpse away, sending the advancing dead behind it stumbling back! She was already thinning the numbers of this first group!

But it wasn't long before the samurai heard a roar from the forest, thunderous footfalls approaching as three massive giant undead charged towards her! They cared little for their allies, crushing the human undead under their huge feet as the charged. The first of the giants raised its enormous club and swung it down, Saber darting backwards out of the way as it crashed into the earth hard enough to leave a crater! Indeed, the giant undead were on an entirely different level then the human corpses!

But Saber was a Servant! She would never allow herself to be frightened of such beasts!

"It's no different then cutting down a tree!" she declared, sprinting in and swinging her katana in an arc, slicing the giant's flesh right to the bone! It growled and raised its club once more. Ah, she hadn't cut deeply enough to sever its leg entirely!

The second undead giant, this one with a massive, crude stone sword, raised it overhead and prepared to bring it down. Even leaping back, the girl samurai was forced to use her blade to block the weapon as it came crashing down! The impact sent Saber skidding backwards across the grass, tossing up dust before she came to a halt!

The third undead giant, unarmed, charged her and raised one its massive grey fists!

That was its mistake. But it was only an undead, after all!

As its hand came hammering down, Saber's blade flashed and sliced clean through it! The giant's enormous fist was cut completely in two, the huge undead's fingers falling away, part of the threat the huge dead thing posed eliminated in an instant! Now she simply had to kill all three!

As the girl samurai stepped back into a ready stance, the club-wielding undead giant struck at her once more, its enormous weapon smashing into the earth as it did. The other, smaller undead still remained, but it seemed as if every blow from the giants either killed some of their own forces or sent them flying… But right now, Saber had to take advantage of this!

Before the giant could raise his weapon again, the silvery-haired girl planted one foot on the club and sprinted up it, crossing the massive club in an instant, then the creature's arm, and…!

Her blade flashed in the setting sunlight, and Saber cut clean through the giant's neck, decapitating it!

The massive body fell to the ground with an enormous, resounding thud, as Saber landed behind the enormous corpse. Almost immediately, the sword-wielding giant swung its blade towards her, not even giving her a moment to spare between her slaying of the club giant and its next attack. And even as she leaped backwards to avoid the crude blade, the unarmed undead giant swung its remaining hand towards her in an open-palmed slap!

Saber almost seemed to vanish, putting to use the technique that allowed her to cover distances in an instant as if the earth between herself and her destination had been reduced. She had trained relentlessly to gain mastery of this technique in life, and she had put it to use over and over since being summoned! She reappeared several meters away, air currents whipping past her as she came to a halt, bringing her katana parallel to her head once more!

The girl samurai erupted forward in the blink of an eye, before the huge giant could recover. In a flash, the silvery-haired swordswoman cut cleanly through the hulking undead's wrist, its hand tumbling off and twitching on the ground! Now without functioning hands, the massive walking corpse attempted to lean back and kick her! Saber smiled, side-stepping the clumsy maneuver and cleaving through the undead giant's right leg, this time ensuring she severed flesh and bone! With a groan, the enormous figure started to fall forward, catching itself on the stump that remained of its foot, causing the massive dead thing to fall sideways. In a flash, Okita sprang up and cut its head apart, slicing completely through its skull and sending half its head hurtling through the air and to the ground!

But as the air rushed past her, Saber still being carried through the air by her leap, the third giant's sword swung right for her! Even if she blocked, she was going to be sent flying!

At least, it looked that way until a chariot pulled by two enormous bulls came from the sky, crashing down onto the huge undead! Saber landed on her feet as the huge corpse was torn apart by the pawing bulls, and the spinning wheels. Bones snapped, skin and muscle torn away, and with a bellow one of the bulls reared back and slammed its hooves down, pulverizing the giant's skull!

"How unsightly," commented Medb, tapping her crop against her hand as she did, looking down at the fading corpse, "These things are absolutely vile, aren't they, Saber~?"

She smiled towards the samurai, who returned her gaze with a glare. Rider's attitude, her flirtatious nature and aggressive interest in Saber herself left the swordswoman uncertain what to do, but wary of the pink-haired monarch.

"Oh, don't give your savior such a sour look~" complained Rider, waving her hand dismissively, "I saw Caster. She's above the black spot, you might even be able to see her from here."

"She's outside the black spot?!" exclaimed Saber.

Immediately, silvery-gold eyes widening, the katana-wielding Servant looked skywards. She'd expected Caster to remain inside of the strange dark patch on the Harazuki Forest, not to come out and face them directly! What was she doing!? Indeed, she could see the dark form of the necromancer Servant, suspended in the air by two wings of black mist.

"What could she be doing?!"

"I don't know," replied Medb, with a pout "I was going to slam her out of the sky and crush her under my foot, but it was like my chariot was charging though water, I couldn't move fast enough to hit her! It was so frustrating!"  
Rider's hands clenched into fists.

"So… I came down here to help out~ Aren't you thrilled, Saber?" she asked, giving the other girl a flirtatious smile, "I'm one step closer to thoroughly dominating you and making you my own~"

Saber took a small step back. Even now, in the midst of battle, Medb was… dedicated to such inappropriate behavior. The tales of the Queen of Connacht really were true.

"… Regardless of how I feel about that, this isn't the time…" she replied, uncertain of how to react.

"Fine, fine, I'll keep forging ahead. These pathetic undead are nothing compared to the Queen of Connacht!"

With the thundering sound of massive hooves, the chariot charged onwards. Soon, Saber followed. Medb's chariot could cover a large area with its charge, but if Caster was summoning more undead there was no way she would kill all of the walking corpses at once. And they still didn't know just what Caster had waiting for them!

To her left, Saber saw an enormous flash of brilliant white light. Lancer had to be engaging the Dead too… naturally, there was no doubt in the silvery-haired Servant's mind that the knight would be victorious!

Something whistled through the air towards her, and Saber's katana snapped up to deflect it. As her sword clashed with the incoming projectile, she realized it was a thrown axe, and the next group of undead, this one mostly human once more, was now emerging from the brush! Flash-stepping forwards, she met the first of the dead before it could draw its main weapon, katana flashing to slice it completely in two down the middle of its body! As both halves fell apart, she darted between them to immediately parry another sword slash, cutting apart the next of the dead as it advanced. Her sword cleaved the air, taking another corpse's head, and another, and another, and another… but they just kept coming. Just how many of these dead had Caster summoned to her side?!

And then something else appeared. Something even more unnatural then the walking dead.

A ghostly, skeletal figure, half of a skeleton with elongated, warped arms and hands, draped in what seemed to be some form of shroud. Another of its kind appeared, and another… So these were the ghosts that were now bound to Caster's will?!

"The edge of this blade will never fail, even against apparitions!" declared Saber! She backed away from the lashing, skeletal talons of the ghosts. Certainly, these were spiritual beings with no true physical form. But she was a spiritual being too, even if she had a body!

Thrusting her blade forward, she pierced the translucent form of one of the phantoms, and it faded into mist!

They could be destroyed just like anything else!

A strange, shimmering, light-like projectile flew from the hand of one of the phantoms, ripping through the air towards her. Saber darted to the side, the air almost seeming to ripple across her as the unusual attack went past her. When it struck a tree, rather then doing physical damage, it seemed to simply cause the bark to blacken and die, crumbling away, as if the very life had been removed from it in an instant. So the fact that the ghosts lacked a true physical body meant their attacks were based on the removal of life rather than causing injury?

It wasn't as if it mattered! Dodging another hazy, shimmering projectile, Saber lunged forward and cut one of the phantoms' arms from its body, both limbs dissipating into white mist as they faded away! Not a single sound came from the ghost, it's jaw simply opening and shutting as it drifted backwards. But the samurai couldn't afford to pay attention only to the skeletal apparitions! No, the armed undead were still advancing!

It wasn't exactly unexpected when they simply walked through the ghosts, as if nothing was there. Raising her katana, Saber prepared for the next attack!

But then a trio of gunshots rang out! Almost immediately, the undead that had made their way past the ghosts hit the ground, each with a bullet drilled right into their skull!

Archer had taken the chance to help thin the numbers that Saber was facing! No matter how she felt about his conduct before, he was certainly being helpful now! Smiling, the girl samurai sprinted forward and cut through the next phantom, its halves dissipating into mist as they drifted apart from one another!

The final ghost drifted backwards noiselessly, as Saber advanced swiftly towards it. The other undead that surrounded her were swiftly being gunned down, Archer putting a hole through their heads as rapidly as they emerged from the foliage. One more of the undead warriors raised its blade to attack her, but in an instant she took its hands and pierced it through the skull with the tip of her katana. It fell to the ground, motionless, its body fading away slowly as Saber sprang over the corpse. The ghost let off blasts of life-sucking light, but there was no way the samurai would let herself be taken off-guard by something like that!

In the blink of an eye, she covered the distance between herself and the phantom with a rush of wind, and cut it to pieces! The body of the spirit came apart and faded away, leaving behind white mist once more.

These undead, and these enthralled ghosts, were certainly more dangerous then the decrepit corpses that Caster had used previously! It required genuine effort to pay attention to their attacks in order to avoid them, and the giants especially were incredibly strong! And yet, they were still nothing compared to a member of the Shinsengumi like herself! Saber knew she'd have no trouble cutting her way through the rest of Caster's forces!

Suddenly, the trees parted, and an enormous, skeletal, clawed foot came crashing down. Forced to halt, Saber skidded along the ground and took a step back, silvery-gold eyes widening in surprise as she followed the leg up. Flesh still clung to the enormous creature, and as the swordswoman perceived the entire monster she realized what it was.

Scales flaked away, and its wings were tattered and useless. But as it let out a mighty roar, showing razor sharp fangs, there was no mistaking it for anything else.

It was a massive, undead dragon. Its enormous jaws parted in a roar, flesh sloughing off of its head as a greenish miasma swirled from its maw, leaves wilting and decaying as the breath washed over them. Saber darted backwards, and as the grotesque cloud of gas came in contact with the earth, small plants began to wither and die.

The undead dragon was exhaling some kind of horrible toxin, a poison that killed on contact. While, as a Servant, it was likely Saber would be more resistant to it, she had no desire to test that hypothesis. Instead, she focused on just how to attack the creature.

It lurched forward and swiped with one of its foreclaws, as Saber sprinted to the right to avoid the attack! The huge, half-rotted, scaly monstrosity twisted its body in an attempt to follow her.

Massive damage or removal(or destruction) of the head seemed to be the surest ways to slay one of Caster's undead. Therefore, if she disabled its limbs and brought its head into range, she could kill it! That was all that she needed to do!

Suddenly, with a flap of its tattered wings, the immense undead dragon reared back into its hind limbs with a snarl! The front of its body blocked Saber's view of the sky! Was it trying to slam down and crush her?! There's no way she'd just stay still and let it do that!

As it turned out, she didn't have to.

A brilliant light tore through the air, bathing the forest in a golden glow for an instant as it slammed into the enormous dragon's side! The creature let out an enormous bellow as it toppled sidewise, the light ripping through its stomach cavity and erupting out the other side of its chest! And yet, even with the enormous damage done to the monster's body, it managed to catch itself as it landed firmly on the ground.

Lancer leaped out from the trees, cape and braided ponytail fluttering the wind, cavalry lance bathed in swirling, golden mana as her armored feet hit the ground.

"No matter what form these dead might take, I shall destroy every last one of them!" she declared, leveling her blazing weapon towards the undead dragon. But even as she spoke, the huge beast turned, its spikey tail, bone exposed in numerous places, whipping towards the blonde knight!

Saber darted forward, clearing the distance between herself and the beast's tail in a split second and cutting clear through the decayed flesh and bone!

Even though it was severed, the tail writhed as it hit the ground, twisting in on itself before laying still after a moment.

"We'll destroy this thing twice as fast, now!" Saber declared, flashing a grin towards Lancer. The blonde knight gave her a small smile, before her attention returned to the massive, snarling, undead beast as it turned itself about to face the both of them once more. Lancer was the Servant she had the most experience fighting alongside. No matter how dangerous this monster was, there was no question of their victory any longer!

The massive walking corpse let out another stream of decaying breath from its maw, and both Lancer and Saber broke in opposite directions, avoiding the impact of the vile miasma. From the other side of the dragon, the girl samurai could see Lancer's weapon blazing with mana once more. No matter which one of them the dragon chose to follow, it would be open to attack by the other! That massive, decayed head quickly turned to follow the silvery-eyed girl as she darted towards its hindquarters. That was all that she needed!

There was a resplendent flash of light as Lancer drove her cavalry lance clear through one of the dragon's forelegs and released the mana that had built up in it all at once, blowing the limb clear off! The undead beast stumbled forward, losing its footing, and as it tried to turn towards Lancer, Saber sprinted towards its hind leg and cut clear through it! Now with only two functional feet, the massive creature hit the ground. With a guttural growl, it flapped its ruined wings, unable to move properly! Perfect!

The beast's head leaned back before lashing out, attempting to snap its jaws shut on Lancer as she made her way around its front. But that was exactly what Saber had been hoping for!

With another burst of speed, she crossed the distance between herself and that massive head in an instant, and…!

The dragon's head came sailing off, rolling once before lying still, the massive body collapsing as Saber severed its neck entirely!  
Saber flicked her blade clean, foul, green fluids splattering to the ground. With the blonde knight's help, the undead dragon had gone down in no time!

"Thanks, Lancer!" declared Saber, brightly. But soon, her more serious expression had returned. There was no time for levity when it came to something so dangerous. There was no telling just what Caster was doing, especially given the presence of an undead dragon. Could there be more?

"There is no need to thank me, I was conducting my duty," replied Lancer, quickly raising her weapon. Before they could continue their advance, another two… three… four of the massive giants came stomping out of the trees, bellowing!

Saber drew her blade parallel to her head.

No matter how many undead she faced, she would destroy each and every one, without fail!

And then…!

A hulking figure suddenly erupted out of the trees to Saber's left! Raising one massive fist back, it punched the first of the giants in the face, snapping its neck at an odd angle. A blow from a golden handaxe finished the job, as a hail of arrows flew from the treeline and peppered the other three undead giants.

The huge, dark-skinned figure turned towards Saber and Lancer, letting out an unearthly wail.

"Berserker?!" exclaimed Saber. Before anything else could happen, the huge figured barreled towards the both of them, Saber flash-stepping to her left and Lancer hurling herself out of the way, rolling once.

"The Einzbern girl…" Lancer straightened, raising her weapon as Berserker turned to attack once more, "She must be attempting to wipe out her enemies all at once, using Caster's defensive force to her advantage!"

Now that she was looking, Saber noticed more engagements in the forest, blackened skeletons clashing with undead soldiers. Now, of all times, Berserker was attacking?! Archer had said that Alysvial von Einzbern's goal had been to slaughter the other Servants, to the point of rejecting the ceasefire entirely. She was so dedicated to this goal she'd make an assault now, when they were trying to take down Caster?!

But as Berserker began to charge once more, one of the roaring giants, bristling with arrows, came to meet him. For a brief moment, he was caught in a clash against the undead, but soon he was chopping his way through the huge walking corpse with both axes! The other two giants had advanced as well, however, and even if he would surely destroy them it would take a few moments for him to do so! Additionally, the undead on both side were being distracted for now, clearing the way to the black orb…

Both Lancer and Saber hardly needed to confirm with one another what they would be doing. They were off and running.

They were here to stop Caster, after all!

Speaking of which, just what was she doing? Aside from establishing a bounded field to keep herself from being attacked in the sky, she hadn't done a single thing, simply floating in the air high above the dome-shaped black spot. It seemed strange that she wasn't doing more to directly support her undead forces, or even attack directly using her magical bombardment capabilities. It was strange, and it made Saber wary…

Then, the Servant far above spoke. In spite of their distance, it was easy to hear the Caster-class Servant speak.

"Hear me, heroes of human history!" declared Caster, thrusting her staff into the air. "You are, all of you, pinnacles of what humanity calls 'heroism'! But this is not the first time I have done battle with so-called heroes!"

So-called heroes? Who was she to make such claims, when she was a threat to so many people!?

"My legend is one that ended in the death of the hero who came to slay me," continued Caster. Gears turned in Saber's mind. Her legend was one of the death of a hero? Was that the reason for her confidence? But surely she couldn't expect to find victory against so many enemy Servants. Not with her dead. Even if they were far more dangerous then the old corpses she had used before…

In fact… a necromancer who was responsible for the death of the hero in her myth? One who wielded undead frost giants, dragons, and other such beasts, one who could use runes…

"I shall give you the privilege of looking death itself in the eye!" cried Caster. Suddenly there was a flicker of green light, far in the air, Caster's bone staff seeming to ignite with mana. "Behold, the great beast that stalked the island of Oland! The monster who answered my call! Heed my voice once more, oh Hrolfr's bane!"

The green light suddenly erupted outwards.

"Oland?!" Lancer exclaimed, as she sprinted beside Saber, "Hrolfr? Could she mean…"

Medb's Chariot suddenly cruised low above them.

"Every time I try to reach her, my chariot can't move fast enough to get there… grrr, she's stealing the scene!" Saber heard Rider complain.

If Caster was a necromancer, who came from Oland, who had caused the death of a man named Hrolfr, then…!

"This is the greatest beast of Princess Skuld!" cried Caster. That was it! The Necromancer of norse myth, the final antagonist of the Saga of Hrolfr Kraki! Saber was not familiar with the legend in life, but as a Servant… she knew the name of Princess Skuld!

"Behold, the Great Quilled Boar!"

There was a sound like a crack of thunder. This feeling… this was one of Caster's Noble Phantasms!

"If she's Princess Skuld, then…!"

A great green light ignited above them, stretching open to reveal an inky blackness, darker then the night sky. From it, something emerged. An enormous, dark shape, bigger even then the undead dragon had been, a gigantic, monstrous thing, came descending from the hole in the air. It had four massive, thick limbs, a huge, bulky body, and a blunted head, its jaws squared off. It was unmistakably the silhouette of an enormous boar. The Quilled Boar… one of the beasts of legend that had composed Princess Skuld's army!

The ground shook when those huge hooves hit the earth, and soon Saber was able to perceive the creature's true form. Indeed, it was an incredibly gigantic, huge boar, but its body did not bristle with fur. No, thousands and thousands of quills lay across its form, and on its back was a ridge of much larger, longer spines. When it opened its mouth, she could see its teeth, sharp and pointed, tusks winding from its maw. Its eyes were more like balls of fire in empty sockets, glowing unnaturally…

It let out an enormous bellow that seemed to pierce the air.

So this was one of Caster's Noble Phantasms!

"A phantasmal beast…" Lancer's eyes widened, "The monster that took part in the slaughter of Hrolfr Kraki and his companions. No wonder Caster was so confident!"

Saber drew her katana parallel to her head.

"No matter how powerful it is, we're here to stop Caster!" she declared, "For the sake of my Master, I can't hesitate!"

She had never faced beasts such as this in life. No, her skills, her exploits, had been tested against other humans. Saber had no experience in the slaying of monsters. And yet… for the sake of Ai, for the sake of her honor and pride as a member of the Shinsengumi, a samurai, and a Servant, there was no way she would let the huge creature give her pause!

With another bellow, the enormous boar charged. Each footfall was like an earthquake, and it uprooted trees as it tore through the forest.

Immediately, Saber broke right once more, Lancer sprinting left as the enormous hooves trampled past her, leaving great prints in the earth. She saw Medb ascend in her chariot, and a brilliant beam of light fired from her crown once more. It sliced across the enormous boar's body, but as far as Saber could tell it did little to damage it. With a tremendous roar, the boar's quills suddenly stood on end… and rocketed towards Rider's chariot! Surprised, the pink-haired Servant swerved in the air, to evade the hail of spines. But while it was distracted, Saber took the opportunity to dart in and take a jumping slash at its lower leg!

There was a shower of sparks, and as the silvery-haired girl landed beneath the enormous monster she realized that her attack had failed to even pierce its flesh. At this close distance, she could see what the boar's skin was truly made of. Thousand and thousands of interlocking, tiny quills coated the monster's frame. It wasn't simply covered in spines, even its skin was made of quills! The quills formed an armor, locked together like that… there was no way an ordinary attack was getting through it easily. Bellowing, the boar stamped its massive feet, leaping back in a bid to slam one hoof down right on top of Saber!

She leaped away, rolling once before catching herself, the enormous hoof grinding into the earth where she had just stood!  
Lancer, on the other side, charged before releasing another shining beam of mana directly into one of the boar's forelegs! Saber couldn't tell if it had done any damage, but the monster immediately kicked. The blonde knight had just enough time to raise her cavalry lance defensively before it struck, the blow sending her flying!

"Lancer!"

But there was no time to be concerned for her ally. Suddenly the Quilled Boar's tusks came raking along the ground towards her, carving great ruts into the earth! Saber darted out of the way in the blink of an eye, but even the air current from the monster's bucking head sent her rolling away, and it was already recovering for another attack! Rolling to her feet, Saber shot back up again. At the moment, she still couldn't see Lancer… it looked like the knight had gotten knocked pretty far away. Rider was still above, trying to bombard the massive boar with beams of light from her crown. It didn't seem to have much of an effect, but it was keeping the enormous creature distracted for the moment!

On top of that, the undead were still present, and Berserker was still nearby… Indeed, some of Caster's dead were advancing at this very moment, even as the huge boar's hooves came crashing down around them! Some of them were crushed underfoot, but for the most part they kept moving towards Saber singlemindedly, raising their weapons and drawing arrows. This close to the black orb, they must not have been engaged in combat with Berserker's skeletal warriors! Saber raised her katana again.

At least, for the moment, the massive boar was distracted with Rider's continued assault. The girl samurai could take on the undead without getting stomped in the process!

The first of the undead to approach, swinging an enormous broadsword towards her. Just as its predecessors had been, Saber deflected it, but she was almost take by surprise when a scraggly undead wolf came charging towards her, leaping through the air! Taking a step back, she adjusted her grip and swung her katana, slicing it in half! She recovered swiftly, in time to block another attack by the first undead, force it back, and take its head! A line of archers took aim, even as one of the boar's hooves crushed two of their fellows, loosing their arrows towards her. Breaking into a sprint, she evaded the projectiles, slicing one that came too close out of the air as she ran!

As they drew their bows once more, Saber turned, darting towards them. As soon as she met their line, she took the first undead archer's head, sending it spinning through the air. But as she went to attack the second, the shadow of a gigantic hoof fell over her and the samurai sprang back, a rush of air washing over her as the hoof slammed down and crushed both the undead she had been trying to attack and another that had been beside it! If nothing else, the boar at least was thinning the numbers of the dead somewhat, albeit unintentionally.

They still had to figure out how to hurt it…!

Several undead wolves came sprinting out of the trees, snarling and frothing, as they began to hurl themselves towards Saber! The silvery-haired girl stepped back, and in a flash of her blade cut the head of the first in two. The second, which had gotten under her initial strike, was met with a spinning kick that sent it tumbling through the air to roll end over end across the ground. The third circled to her left, as the fourth leaped at her and was greeted by her katana piercing through its chest and slicing its way through the undead wolf's side, before she swiftly put an end to it by cutting through its head as it hit the ground. The other undead wolf was leaping towards her, but a gunshot rang out and tore through its skull! It hit the ground and rolled, as the final undead wolf was also shot, its body being crushed by one of the monstrous boar's hooves moments afterwards.

Archer swiftly emerged from the treeline. Saber backed away from the boar, which was still distracted by Rider, quills firing off of its body towards her as she tried to cut through its hide with her crown's beam of light. There was no telling how long it would be before the massive phantasmal beast lost interest and started trying to attack other Servants, or worse, head for the town.

"Ma'am," Archer tipped his hat, "Well, if this ain't going to hell in a handbasket. A phantasmal beast, huh? Plus Berserker showin' up to throw a wrench into things…"

He seemingly didn't even need to look as he shot the first of another group of undead emerging from the foliage. Saber raised her katana parallel to her head once more.

"No matter how strong it is, we can defeat it, Archer!" she declared, slicing through a second undead's body and cutting it apart. Even if she had never faced a phantasmal beast in life, let alone anything as massive as this, Saber knew that this was something they could overcome. Even with Berserker's presence, even with these swarms of undead bolstering the Quilled Boar…! "It's the duty our Masters gave us! We can't let Caster win!"

"Did I say anythin' about that?" Archer asked, firing twice to put a bullet through the heads of another two dead, "We're Servants. Heroic spirits of mankind. There's no sense givin' up when the battle's just begun."

With every shot the cowboy Servant fired, another of Caster's dead fell. With every flash of Saber's sword, another fell apart. But at this point, it seemed as if the boar was losing interest in Medb, and once again beginning to focus on the other Servants that it had a better chance of hitting…

Suddenly, a storm of quills was launched down towards their position! Nearly taken by surprise, Saber broke into a sprint as quills embedded themselves in the earth behind her. She stopped, spun, and sliced one of the oncoming spines in half, both pieces embedding themselves in the ground at her sides. So they could be damaged!

Archer rolled back, and fired a stream of shots. Each bullet knocked the quills launched at him off-course, into groups of undead or simply causing them to hit the ground elsewhere! Even now, in the midst of battle, the girl samurai could acknowledge Archer's skill as a marksman. The only time he had ever missed a single shot was when his enemy was another Servant!

"Gotta say, this monster's one tough nut to crack," commented Archer, stepping back and reloading his revolver as he did. For the moment, the Quilled Boar was swinging its tusks at Rider's chariot. Medb had circled around in front of it, to grab its attention again… As much as Saber didn't like the Queen of Connacht, she at least seemed very aware of her position in battle. She had the best capabilities to evade the boar and could keep grabbing its attention, diverting its attacks for at least a few moments.

There was no telling how long it would last this time.

"Its skin is made out of interlocking quills," Saber commented, eyeing the boar again even as more undead began to advance towards them. Just how many could Caster summon!? "It's like some kind of armor!"

"So we've gotta shell it," responded Archer, backing up as the boar's attention began to return to Saber and himself, "'N then we can attack whatever's inside!"

As Saber readied herself to exterminate the next group of undead as swiftly as possible, a golden light burst from the trees, tearing through their numbers in an instant! Lancer had recovered, springing out of the darkness of the forest, piercing the head of one of the remaining dead with her cavalry lance before swinging the weapon in an arc and slamming another of the walking corpses to the ground in an instant!

"Lancer!" Saber called to the blonde knight, now that she had given them another moment to try and plan before the undead closed in once more, "Rider is keeping the boar distracted, but we only have so much time. We have to crack open its armored skin!"

As if on cue, the great boar bellowed. Saber glanced up, and caught sight of the way the balls of fire that served as its eyes were now turning downwards. It was losing interest in Medb again… The quicker they figured out how to break through its armor, the better!

"I can tell. The armor is thick, but I certainly don't believe it's unbreakable!" responded Lancer, raising her cavalry lance as she spoke.

That enormous head lowered again, and the tusks dragged through the earth, uprooting plants and tearing right towards the Servants! The group broke apart, Lancer releasing another blast of magical energy towards the Quilled Boar's face! However, it failed to do more then burst against the surface of the enormous monster's flesh. They had to break though the armor! But it was so strong, so thick… Medb's attempts to regain the attention of the beast were failing, as it seemed to have decided to give up on such a difficult target entirely.

There was… one thing that Saber could do. It was something that would reveal quite a bit of her nature, yes… but it would allow her to break through the creature's armor. At the moment, that was simply more important then concealing her identity from the others at this point. However, she couldn't reach any vital areas on the massive creature. Everything was far too high up! The boar turned its enormous head, bellowing as it dragged its tusks through the earth once more!

And yet, before it could flick its head to try to catch any of the Servants, it was… stopped?

Saber's silvery-gold eyes widened when she saw the caused, and she heard Lancer's exclamation.

"Berserker?!"

Surrounded by his skeletal warriors, who were fending off Caster's undead with a rain of arrows, Berserker had wrapped his arms around one of the boar's tusks! He couldn't hold it for long, a scant few moments before it would tear away from his grasp, but for even those moments…!

Was it possible, even in his current state of madness, Berserker recognized that the greater threat was the Quilled Boar? Or had he simply gone for the largest target, unthinkingly?

The important thing was that, for a moment, the Quilled Boar was unable to move its head, slamming its feet against the ground and bellowing. This opportunity allowed Saber, Archer, and Lancer to gain some distance, heading into the forest.

A few moments later, they heard another unearthly wail from Berserker.

"… Saber, Archer, do you have any power that would allow you to critically injure that beast?" Lancer asked.

"'Fraid not, my skills aren't suited for killin' beasts," Archer replied, reloading his revolver once more as he did.

"… This sword may be one meant for manslaying," Saber began, as she raised her katana, "But… if I can reach a vital spot…"

There would be no point to utilizing this technique from the ground. Simply injuring one of the boar's legs wouldn't put it down, and there was no way of knowing if it had the ability to regenerate from injuries or not. There was no telling when it came to a phantasmal beast. But, if she could access a place from which she could deliver a fatal blow…

"… I may be able to pierce its skin and kill it," the girl samurai concluded. A blow to its heart with her most trusted technique, maybe…

There was another wail from Berserker, and the sound of something massive hitting the ground. They only had so much time to concoct a plan.

"By using my Noble Phantasm, I may be able to disable it long enough for you to unleash your killing blow," Lancer explained, "But even then, its vital parts will not be accessible from the ground."

"Oh? You need to fly, then?"

Medb's bulls grunted as her chariot cruised low, landing beside them.

"Fufu~ I'm fine with letting Saber take a ride," commented the Rider-class Servant with a smile, "Though once she's mine, I'll be the one on top~"

Saber narrowed her eyes, but now wasn't the time to be flustered. She wasn't exactly excited to be taking a ride with Medb, but at the same time there was little other choice. It wasn't as if anyone else was capable of taking flight.

There was another enormous thud, and the sound of Berserker roaring again. He was managing to keep the beast occupied for just a little longer.

"… Rider, I'll need you to take me as close as possible, towards the center of its body," Saber said, stepping towards the chariot. She realized she couldn't be certain if this creature truly had a heart to strike at, but it seemed like it followed the physical shape of a more mundane boar. There was no reason to suspect it didn't. and it was their best hope when it came to killing it as quickly as possible.

"I've got it~ You're going to be my plaything anyway, so I can help out with something like this for now!" declared Medb, brightly, offering her hand to Saber. Reluctantly, the swordswoman took it, and was pulled onto the chariot.

"Try to get into position quickly, and attack as soon as possible, once I have halted its movements," said Lancer, glancing back out of the forest, towards the slowly-expanding clearing created by the enormous boar's movements. "I have no idea how long it will be immobilized for, but I cannot imagine it wouldn't be able to recover quickly."

She glanced towards Archer.

"Can you keep the dead away from me while I'm using my Noble Phantasm, Archer?" she asked.

"'Course, ma'am," he responded, adjusting his hat as he spoke.

"Then there's no time to waste!"

Saber nodded, and with a rush of wind the chariot took to the air, erupting out of the treetops. Below, she could see Lancer and Archer sprinting out of the forest. Berserker had been unable to inflict any damage to the great boar, but as far as Saber was able to tell, he had avoided being harmed and was still doing well to distract the monster.

The fact that this could change at any moment was yet another reason they had to move quickly.

Rider sighed.

"I wish that your first trip on this chariot would have been while using its true purpose~" she said, wistfully, "Oh well~ Next time~"

As the chariot ascended further, the boar bellowing as one last flick of its tusks sent Berserker flying into the woods, even Medb started to grow more serious, a look of concentration on her face as she looked the tremendous creature over. Even the act of flinging Berserker away seemed to have put it off-balance, and it had to right itself for a moment to prevent itself from staggering. But it was no surprise, Saber had felt Berserker's raw strength first-hand. The boar's great fiery eyes turned skywards, towards Medb's chariot, and it let out another immense roar, its quills standing on end.

"As if you'd hit me with something worthless like that!" declared Medb, and moments later the hail of quills rocketed towards them. Saber held on tight as the chariot lurched, their surroundings blurring as it swung and pitched through the air, spines of varying sizes hurtling past them. Beside her, the pink-haired Rider grinned confidently as the spines hurtled past them. Being in a flying chariot was… certainly something, Saber had never been in the air like this before. The wind rushing past them as they flew, Rider commanding the bulls to fly in twisting, evasive patterns to avoid the quills being launched towards them, it was all an entirely new experience for the Servant.

However, there was no time to dwell on such things. The girl samurai had to focus, to remain fixated on her duty. She had to slay the Quilled Boar. But, until the boar was successfully immobilized, she also had to keep an eye on their surroundings. Being attacked while in Medb's chariot would immediately make it more difficult to execute the plan. It seemed as if, for the moment, Caster was content to use her summoned undead and the boar itself as her weapons, without directly interfering with the battle. From here, Saber could even see just where the undead were coming from.

The surface of the massive black dome rippled as corpses streamed out of it. Was that the purpose of the black spot? The infinite generation of walking corpses? Caster didn't even need to seek out the bodies of the dead if that was the case, which made perfect sense given the undead she was summoning included beasts of all sorts and human corpses clearly from a distant time and place. Princess Skuld's legend told of her powerful necromancy, and this black dome was clearly showcasing it.

But was that really its only capability?

There was little more time to think, as the top of the orb began to ripple and reveal a set of undead wyverns. They were emaciated and half-rotten, but their wings were intact enough to allow them to take flight. For the moment the boar had stopped launching its quills towards them, but now they were about to be assaulted by undead wyverns. It didn't look like Lancer was ready yet, either…

"Hmph, as if those unsightly corpses would ever catch up to me," Medb commented, as the wyverns began making their way, remarkably quickly, towards the flying chariot.

"If the boar attacks with its quills again while the wyverns are here…" Saber nodded to herself. She wasn't going to let this opportunity be taken from her, they had to kill the boar as quickly as possible. If a monster like that reached their Masters, or the town… Saber got to her feet.

"Rider, I'm going to take out those wyverns!" she announced, reaching up with her free hand to pull herself onto the top of the flying chariot. Medb glanced up at her for a moment.

"Don't worry, I have absolute domination of these bulls. There's no way you'll fall when I'm in control!" responded Medb as the chariot hurtled through the air. Saber took a deep breath and raised her katana parallel to her head once more, her feet sliding into a ready stance as the wind whipped past her, her scarf and ponytail fluttering. The moonlight gleamed off of her blade as the wyverns approached, faster the closer they came.

The first of the undead wyverns let out a roar and swooped down, careening right towards them! There wasn't much room on the roof of the chariot, but Saber didn't need to, sliding her right foot to the side as she turned herself. The wyvern's skull passed her as her blade flashed, beheading the undead creature in an instant! Its wings stopped flapping as its corpse tumbled through the air towards the ground below!

One down, but there were still several others remaining! For the best chance at success, she'd have to take all of them out before Lancer used her Noble Phantasm! The other wyverns were drawing ever closer, just as fast as the first one hand, and so Saber readied herself for another attack! The next two monsters found it difficult to crowd around the chariot without bumping into one another initially, forcing them to move apart, the first of the pair swiping at Saber with its single remaining clawed foot! Stepping back, Saber escaped its range and forced it to move closer, whereupon she slashed off its foot. The second wyvern lashed out at her, jaws snapping centimeters from her head as she rotated her body, blade slicing through the air and soon through its head, cleaving its upper jaw from its lower and causing the corpse to fall to the ground!

The remaining wyvern spun, its tail whipping towards Saber as it did, but there was no way it would be able to outpace her! In a flash, she'd cut clear through the rotted flesh and bone, sending the writhing tail hurtling through the air and past her! Left with only its most vulnerable point to use for attack, the wyvern lashed out, jaws snapping, only to be met with Saber's blade.

Pierced through the top of its head, the wyvern's corpse fell away, hurtling towards the earth. There were only two more of the undead beasts left! As long as she finished them off…!

The fourth wyvern made it to the chariot shortly before the fifth did, raising its claws up and trying to latch onto the side! But the bulls swerved, dragging the body of the chariot out of the reach of the undead beast and nearly sending Saber off-balance. What ever else could be said of Medb, the fact that she was excellent at controlling her chariot was undeniable. The girl samurai raised her blade as the final wyvern reached them, roaring, drawing it parallel to her head once more as her feet slid into a ready stance. No matter how many of these creatures were raised, she would simply kill them again and again, as many times as she had to!

Both wyverns lashed out, this time one of them successfully latching onto the side of the chariot! … For a moment, at least, before Saber swung her blade in a downwards arc and severed both of its feet and the ankles. Its half-decayed head came lashing out, downwards, at an angle difficult to counter, forcing the platinum blonde girl to step to the side. The other undead wyvern flapped its wings, strongly, a powerful wind current buffeting Saber's body, threatening to toss her off the chariot!

Until a resplendent beam of light erupted from the front of the chariot, a kaleidoscope of color tearing through the wyvern's side, leaving a sizable chunk of the undead creature vaporized! Rider must have been able to get a good angle, and while it didn't kill the reanimated corpse it did keep it distracted for a moment!

Before the first of the two undead wyverns could strike again, Saber suddenly cleared the distance between herself and the creature. Hopping up, using the monster's chest as a springboard, she suddenly sprang into the air and sliced through its desiccated neck, before springing off of it to reach the other wyvern as it fell! Saber's katana came whistling through the air as she landed and cut the undead monster's head in half, killing it as well. As the corpse fell, the chariot was already a short distance away… but, using the body as a springboard, the samurai threw herself through the air! For a scant moment, she was afraid she might not make it, but both her feet landed on the very edge of the chariot's body, and she caught herself as she stepped forward, the wind whipping around her. She'd made it!

But there were two more wyverns coming, emerging from the rippling spaces on the black spot! Preparing herself for another, Saber raised her sword… and felt something hurtle past her, only missing her head because of her tilt to the side! It careened over her left shoulder. Narrowly, the object had missed embedding itself in her back.

The Servant caught a glimpse of it as it hurtled away. It was the smooth, razor-sharp shape of a quill. The Quilled Boar was firing again! She could see the other quills hurtling through the air, and took a deep breath as she tried to keep an eye on the wyverns and the incoming quills at the same time! It had been a weaker projectile, one that had just barely missed her, but there was no telling what else the phantasmal beast was capable of. They had to kill it as quickly as possible! Saber narrowed her eyes, her blade flashing in the moonlight. Lancer had to be ready soon, didn't she? She had to be close! It was hard to see just what was happening now, below, but there were plenty of undead to delay Lancer's activation of her Noble Phantasm even with Archer's covering fire…

Rider swerved, avoiding another hail of quills which struck both of the attacking undead wyverns. They were both riddled with huge quills, tearing the flying corpses apart in an instant! The immense creature was bellowing and stamping its feet, the spines being fired off in patches from its armored body.

"Ah!"

Saber had to catch herself again as the chariot lurched and swerved to avoid the boar's quills! The sudden movement had nearly cast her off the chariot's body completely, but she'd managed to find her footing as the wind whipped past her body. Not a single undead wyvern remained! At least, for now. There was no telling what else would emerge from Caster's black spot. In myth, Princess Skuld had called untold beasts to her side, as well as other strange beings…

She caught a glimpse of Lancer, raising her cavalry lance… and…!

The light gathered around her lance suddenly dispersed, the mana she used to make it a more deadly weapon dissipating in an instant. Instead, it seemed as if a golden glow was being created at the very tip, while the massive boar was still distracted with Saber and Lancer.

"I shall bring you to your knees, great beast of Skuld!" cried Lancer, thrusting her weapon forward. The glow built, and then…!  
"Trap of Argalia!"

The brilliant light streamed fourth, striking the massive beast's leg. Suddenly, the Great Quilled Boar of Princess Skuld staggered, stumbling forward with a bellow. From here, Saber couldn't quite see what happened, but the enormous beast was no longer able to support the front of its body. For a moment, it had been immobilized!

The Trap of Argalia? Wasn't that…

Saber shook her head. Lancer's identity was a secondary matter, at the moment! Right now-

"Rider, bring me as close as you can!"

Without another word, Medb's chariot suddenly swung around, rocketing back downwards. Saber took a deep breath, concentrating everything on her sword. She was a manslayer. She had killed men over and over. Never before had she slain such a powerful beast. Never before had she even seen a phantasmal beast prior to this day.

But this technique… the very purpose of this blade, it was meant for killing. The durability of the boar's armor no longer mattered. All that mattered was the blow that the girl samurai would strike.

As the neared the massive boar, its quills stood on end again. Saber faced it, blade glinting as she slid herself into a ready stance, the chariot turning to fly parallel to the boar's massive body. They were right where its heart would be…!

There was a screaming sound, and the chariot lurched forward, just barely avoiding a brilliant stream of green light! Saber stumbled, catching herself near the end of the chariot's roof. Caster was joining the fight again?!

"Caster?!" Saber turned on her heel, and indeed, there was the shape of the enemy Servant, her misty black wings shimmering behind her. A set of three intricate magic circles floated behind her, in an arc over her head. She'd been hoping that Caster wouldn't have involved herself, that she would avoid fighting at all costs. But it looked like she felt as if she had enough of an advantage here that she would be able to attack!

"I'm not certain what you're attempting to do," said the black haired girl, leveling her skull and bone staff towards Saber, "But you're an utter fool if you believed I would allow it."

The boar's quills quivered, standing up on its armored skin before launching themselves out. At this close range, even Rider wasn't able to dodge all of them, several slamming into the side of the chariot! Saber's blade flashed, slicing apart one of the huge spines, and then another, but the fact was that two of them had crashed right into the body of the chariot. There wasn't any visible damage, but how long could that last?

Rider spun her chariot around, Saber ducking lower to avoid being thrown off, eyeing Caster.

"So now you decide to join the fray, Caster?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she spoke, "You might have had a better performance if you had lead the battle from the beginning~ Ah, but I suppose that's to be expected, when you compare a silly little princess to a queen~"

Caster's green eyes narrowed, the circles around her flaring with brilliant light.

"The same queen who perished in such a humiliating way?" she asked, cocking her head to one side, "A piece of cheese slaying the Queen of Connacht, wasn't it? Fufu, what kind of joke is that?"

Even from on top of the chariot, Saber could immediately tell Medb was angered by Caster's words. Indeed, Queen Medb had been slain by a piece of cheese striking her in the head while she bathed. But…

"Meanwhile, I succeeded in my every goal, right up until the very end, while you couldn't even capture the heart of a single ma-"  
Immediately, Rider's crown flared with a brilliant light, the rainbow beam of mana piercing the air and tearing towards Caster! In the face of the attack, the magus Servant called a barrier, the circular form of a magical shield whirling to life in front of her. When Medb's beam struck it, the barrier cracked, but held firm.

"You're lucky I can't get any closer to you, Princess Skuld, or else I'd step on you and grind you into the dirt until you begged for mercy!" declared Rider, the light in the center of her crown still shimmering.

"An impressive effort, Rider~ But ultimately…"

Saber readied herself, drawing her katana up parallel to her head once more. She could at least deflect some of the beams, even if some of them would make it! Ah, the boar's quills were standing on end again, it was preparing to fire at the same time! Worse still, it looked as if whatever Lancer had done was about to wear off, the boar slowly beginning to rise again. If they lost their chance now…!

"There is no-one more suited to such efforts in this war than myself~"

Caster's circles glowed brightly, and…

Suddenly, a stream of golden light erupted up from the earth. It was Lancer! At the same time, a trio of gunshots rang out, and Caster was given no choice but to turn and create another barrier pointing downwards, to save her own life! The impact of the blow cracked her shield immediately, and it shattered, the explosive force of the cancellation of her spell sending her rocketing skywards!

Saber had her chance!

She spun on her heel, facing the boar once more, even as it slowly began to regain its footing. There would be no second chances.  
But she wouldn't need one.

The girl samurai drew her blade back, inhaling as she did.

It was a technique she had spent so long developing. Days, weeks, months spent training with her blade. She'd been inspired by Hijikata, if she was being honest. The manner of his swordplay, specifically the way in which he had thrust his katana, had given her the idea. His technique had formed the core of her idea.

Saber's goal was the ultimate refinement of this thrust. Not simply a single jab intended to pierce the enemy, nor a flurry of stabs that would overwhelm the target's defense. It was something else. The capability to pierce the enemy three times simultaneously. Not in a manner that appeared to be simultaneous, nor in a way that tricked the eye into making that conclusion. The goal of her refinement was to create a sword strike in which defense was impossible not because of the speed of each individual thrust, but because each individual thrust happened at the same time.

"Receive the brilliance of my concealed sword!"

The silvery-eyed girl slid one foot back.

She had trained relentlessly to perfect her new technique. It had not been a simple matter. Every single day had been spent practicing, narrowing the time between each thrust each session. Her body would ache with every time she practiced, but she wouldn't allow that to stop her. She wouldn't allow anything to stop her.

This was the culmination of her sword skills. The absolute technique that she could call her own.

"One silent step…"

There wasn't much room on top of the chariot's roof, but there was enough. She needed only enough space to ensure she could make the strike.

"Two steps infinite…"

Saber's foot came down on the chariot once more, propelling herself forward as she prepared herself. There could be no failure.  
When she had achieved it in life, she knew this was a sword that would slay its target. A blade that would slay men unquestionably.

"Three steps, a sword absolute!"

She leaped from the top of Medb's chariot, the wind rushing past her.

It was a sword for killing humans.

But today, it would kill a monster.

Saber thrust her katana forward. The tip of the blade made contact with the boar's flesh, its armored skin of interlocking quills.

"MUMYOU SANDANZUKI!"

Her blade made contact three times. In that instant, there was not a single sword thrust, but three. Three stabs that struck at the exact same time, creating an existence that the world considered to be impossible. Even if one would have failed, the laws of the world were unable to coexist with an attack that occurred three times in the same instant. Causality itself, in that moment, at the tip of that sword, was shattered.

The boar's armored skin gave way. No matter how large her target was, how massive its body was, this was the unfailing result of her technique!

The Three Stage Thrust of Okita Souji!

Saber's feet hit the ground. Her body was spattered with the enormous boar's blood, soaking into her kimono and staining her skin.

Her sword dripped crimson.

Behind her, the enormous boar had finished rising to its feet.

A hole now pierced its entire body. From the right angle, it was possible to see completely through the Quilled Boar, from its left shoulder to its right side, behind its leg.

The fire in the massive beast's eye sockets died.

With a groan, its enormous body began to topple sideways, black motes of light drifting off of its gigantic frame as it slowly began to fade away. Before the huge boar hit the ground, its entire body had dissipated into nothingness.

The great beast of Princess Skuld was dead.

Straightened, Saber flicked her katana, splattering blood droplets from the blade, leaving it gleaming in the moonlight once more. Soon enough, that blood had dissipated into nothing, as well as the blood covering her body and clothing. Aside from the destruction that the Quilled Boar had wrought on the forest, no sign of its existence remained. Straightening, Saber turned to face the black dome, lowering her katana at her side as she looked upwards. She could see Caster, high above them, staring down at the battlefield in absolute shock.

The Quilled Boar had been an enormous threat with nearly impenetrable armored skin, and difficult to fight on-foot. It was obvious that Princess Skuld had never expected that they would be able to kill it. After all, it had been one of the things that sealed her victory in her myth, hadn't it?

But when it came to the sword, Saber would never allow herself to simply fail. For a few moments, she felt a strange excitement surging through her being. Even though she was a heroic spirit, she was not counted among the number that had participated in the slaying of legendary beasts. Her life had not featured such mystical beings as that.

But, as a Servant, she had destroyed one, with the help of the others. A great sensation of pride swelled in her chest, but the silvery-eyed girl couldn't allow herself to become too distracted by her own great victory.

Caster turned and immediately descended rapidly, entering the black spot and causing the surface to ripple like water.

"There's no way we'll let you escape, Caster!" she declared, before immediately breaking into a sprint towards the towering dome of inky blackness.

But, as she did, suddenly the huge, dark form of Berserker erupted from the foliage with an unearthly roar! Now that the Quilled Boar was dead, his focus had returned to the other Servants and herself! His massive hands raised, bearing those golden axes, swinging down to cut Saber in half! But she sprang back, avoiding the glimmering blades.

The only good thing about fighting Berserker was the fact that his agility seemed quite low. But even then, a single direct blow could be crippling…! Worse still, his skeletal warriors were rising from the brush, drawing swords and bows, clearly ready to fight. On their own, it's likely Saber would have been able to defeat them quite easily, but when fighting Berserker as well…

Gunshots rang out, as the skeletons fell limply, blasted apart by bullets. As Berserker raised his axes again, there was the sudden, brilliant light of Lancer's mana, blazing around her weapon as she intercepted his swing, just barely holding!

"Saber, I shall hold Berserker back, and Archer will handle his soldiers!" cried the knight, "Someone must be able to pursue Caster!"  
After the briefest of pauses, Saber swiftly nodded. Lancer had held back the massive warrior back at the skyscraper, so she had to place her faith in the blonde-haired girl, to believe she could do the same again.

"I understand!" the girl samurai declared, "I won't fail!"

With that, she was off and running once more. The trees began to grow sparser, before finally clearing away all together, to reveal the black dome in its entirety. This close to it, Saber realized its nature was almost like that of pitch black, volcanic glass, a gleaming surface that even seemed to show her reflection as she approached.

But that wasn't the only thing worth noting. Assassin was there was well, glancing towards Saber, still clad in her fox mask.

Warily, the samurai raised her sword, but instead of making a move to attack, Assassin tapped her blade against the side of the dome.  
Realizing what this might have meant, Saber leaned back and struck the massive orb with all her strength.

It didn't budge.

Not only had Caster raised an army of dead and summoned a phantasmal beast, but she's constructed a sort of fortress as well for her defense?! Princess Skuld was famed for commanding an army of the dead and winning, slaying her half-brother Hrolfr through the use of her neverending army. But to think she could create such a fortress as well…

"We'll have to break through it, somehow," Saber declared, taking a deep breath as she raised her sword. She'd attack it as many times as she needed!

"Do you, now?" declared a voice from above, "Then it looks like it's time for Queen Medb to shine once again!"

Casting her gaze skywards, Saber could see the shape of Rider's chariot, suspended in the air some distance away from the orb. Now that Caster had fled into the massive construct, there was no bounded field in place that restricted her movements when she got closer.

"Did you think that was all I could do, you little bitch? A cowardly little princess, fleeing the moment things start to look grim?" Rider asked, though assuredly there was no way Caster could hear her at the moment, from inside the dome. The pink-haired Servant raised one hand skyward.

"No matter what you've created, there's no way it can stand up to this memento of my passions!" she continued. A shimmering orb of light, composed of all the colors of the rainbow, formed above her hand.

"Fergus, My Love!" shouted Queen Medb. With that, something emerged from the light, slowly. It was something like a sword, but also not. Perhaps it could be called as such, but speaking of it as a blade seemed inaccurate as well. It looked like a lance, but that seemed wrong too.

But the instant it was revealed, there was an immediate sense of danger in the air. Rider drew the sword back, raising it over her shoulder.

"This is the difference between a Queen and a Princess that I told you of! CALAD-"

Rider swung the weapon down.

"-BOLG!"

From the sword came a brilliant light. It tore the air with a roar, and outshone even Lancer's golden mana blasts, a wave of magical energy containing the seven colors of the rainbow. Caladbolg, the legendary sword of Fergus Mac Roich… So Medb even had access to something like that? It rushed towards the black dome, slamming into the glossy side of the construct and rippling across it, fragmenting the defense in an instant. The sheer power behind that blow left the air feeling almost electric, there was a heat spreading through everything nearby… even the earth around the point of impact crumbled, blown apart by the power of Caladbolg's attack!

Saber took a step back, eyes wide, as the light faded slowly. It revealed a massive scar torn into the earth, and a huge hole blasted in the side of Caster's black dome, revealing nothing but complete darkness inside of it. Rider had possessed something like that all along… the enormous power behind that sword, it was a destructive attack capable of wiping out an entire army in a single blow.  
But now…

Now there was a path into Caster's black dome! Without waiting another moment, Saber broke into a sprint, darting into the darkness immediately. The moment she entered the orb, she noticed that there was absolutely no light, and that it was freezing cold inside. The light of the moon and stars didn't penetrate the blackness of Caster's domain, and nor did the heat from the summer. It was as if Saber had stepped into a moonless night in the dead of winter.

As she took another step, something crunched under her foot. It was quite simply too dark to tell just what it was, but it felt almost like it was bone.

"Welcome, Saber…" she heard Princess Skuld's voice begin, echoing through the blackness, though she couldn't see where the enemy Servant was located. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, really. "To my Kingdom of Nightmares!"

"Caster… Where are you hiding?" Saber asked, drawing her katana up parallel to her head once more. She didn't exactly expect a response from the enemy Servant, but perhaps if she could hear her voice again…

"Do you really think I'd answer you? Of course not," replied Caster. As self-assured as she sounded, this wasn't the same manner in which Caster had spoken before. There was just the faintest wavering in her voice, her confidence rocked by the death of the Quilled Boar and the shattering of the dome's defenses. "Especially not here. You have just stepped into the very place where I claimed my victory. This isn't any simple bounded field!"

Something, there was no way to tell what, suddenly rushed towards Saber through the air! It was only because she heard it that the girl samurai was able to dodge, stepped swiftly out of the way as whatever it was slammed into the ground with an enormous thud!

"No… this is the second of my Noble Phantasms," declared Caster, from the darkness, "The Kingdom of Oland!"

Oland… that was the Kingdom that Skuld overtook as part of her plot to kill her half-brother, wasn't it? She had essentially taken it from her husband to use it in her plans, as Saber recalled. This pitch black hellscape was a representation of Oland? She heard something move beside her, the sound of a weapon rushing through the air again, and stepped backwards. She felt an air current rush past her face as it narrowly missed. But now… that wasn't the only sound in the void of cold and blackness. There were footsteps from all around her, the sounds of weapons being drawn… in the blackness of the Kingdom of Oland, the undead were awakening.

Another weapon swung towards Saber! This time, however, as opposed to dodging it, she followed the source of the sound in order to block it. For the briefest moment, there was a shower of sparks, and she could see the half-skeletal corpse that had attacked her with its sword illuminated in the brief flash of light. She could hear another undead raising its weapon… Her sword lashed out, and she felt it strike something and go through it, cutting the first undead in half! She backed up, one hand facing backwards… there was another!  
Spinning, she cleaved it apart. By sound and touch, even though she couldn't see what she was doing, Saber could pinpoint the location of the attacking undead! If only she could do the same when it came to Caster… But it was difficult to figure out just where the enemy Servant's voice originated from. It almost seemed like it had been coming from all over…

"Within this place… it's as if I was back in my homeland~" came Caster's voice again. It was still hard to tell… but Skuld's voice was definitely originating from deeper in the inky blackness! "Do you understand just what that means~?"

Wait… if the interior of the bounded field was a replication of Skuld's homeland, did that mean it would give her the benefits of being summoned there?

Then…!

There was an enormous scream as a green blast of light tore from the air, shrieking across the interior of the bounded field. For the briefest moment it cast its sickly green glow over the hundreds of undead inhabiting the Kingdom of Oland, and Saber had no choice but to dart to the right, shoving one of the dead out of the way and back as the beam seemed to vaporize multiple undead! Even the air, frigid as it had been moments later, felt hot just by being near the blast! Was this the power granted to Princess Skuld within her Noble Phantasm!? The benefits granted by summoning a Servant in their homeland?! It would explain exactly why she had been able to summon so many undead so quickly, and in such vast numbers, while also calling a phantasmal beast! It was the benefit granted by the Kingdom of Oland!

There were so many… an entire army between herself and Caster. But Caster's defeat was the duty that she had been given, and she had to fulfill in no matter what. Even if Caster had the capability to infinitely generate undead and cast enormous destructive spells at will while within the Kingdom of Oland, she had to do this.

Saber wasn't going to allow herself to feel hopeless. Even if she couldn't see the undead, she could sense their movements. Even if there were hundreds of them, she was far more coordinated and skilled. She had slain the giants, the wyverns, if there was a dragon among them she would fight her hardest then too. It didn't matter what creatures that Caster summoned, Saber would fight her hardest for the sake of her Master.

"This is a manslaying, slaughtering sword, Caster!" declared Saber, as she brought the blade down, passing through the body of one of the nearest undead. Stepping forward, she deftly avoided a blow she could hear passing through the air and slashed again, feeling the edge of her sword cut through flesh. "But today, it's a sword that has slain even a monster! No matter how many dead you raise, no matter what kind of strength you grant to yourself, I'll cut through everything so that I can reach you!"

There! She could see the lights of Caster's magecraft, the arc of circles over her head and shoulders from which she fired her offensive spells! Sparks flew when she swiftly clashed with another undead, but the girl samurai forced it back and spun to cleave clear through the body of another of the dead that had been advancing behind her! Caster's magical blasts fired, but Saber tore forwards, bowling over undead with the air current around her body, thrusting her blade forward to cut through the swarm blocking her way as the lasers flew over her head!

Caster could move, yes, but if Saber kept her firing, kept her using her magecraft, she could track her! The silvery-haired girl would be able to figure out where she was, just where Princess Skuld was moving to hide in, in that black abyss of death that she had created! If she could track her, she could win! As long as she could do that…

Something huge stepped beside her, but before it could get the chance to attack, Saber managed to cut through its leg and send it to the ground. Whatever it was fell heavily beside her, and she kept moving.

"There is no light in the void, Saber," she heard Caster's voice once more, "Whatever hope you're chasing is long dead. I can't understand why you've chosen to continue when there's no choice for you but to die in the abyss. Isn't it more painful to keep persisting?"

"More painful?!" that might be so, in the end. Saber wasn't sure how long she could guarantee that she would be able to evade the undead, or Skuld's magical attacks. But the fact was that if there was even a slim chance she could reach Caster…!

And then, something massive landed in front of her. It was impossible to tell just what it was, for a moment, but then a light began to build in front of her and revealed just what this thing was. A second undead dragon, but this one was far more intact then the first. In fact, it looked almost alive, something exemplified by the fire that was wafting out of its mouth as it opened its powerful jaws, only a few parts of the beast seeming decayed. Saber had worked with Lancer to destroy the first undead dragon… but she could slay this one as well!

She had to, even though Caster was here, even though she was surrounded by the undead!

The dragon's jaws opened wider, and…!

Rider's Chariot came tearing into the bounded field! Of course, why would Medb decide to stay outside!? Even if it was still hard to see, she could practically feel the bulls slam to the ground and continue charging, shredding their way through the ranks of the undead like they were nothing!

"Did you really forget about me already, Princess Skuld?!" cried Medb, as she swung her chariot around, slamming right into the side of the undead dragon and bowling it over with her bulls. The gout of flame still erupted from its maw into the air, and for the briefest moment Saber could see the stunned Caster illuminated by the flames! "I can understand why Saber would catch your eye, but she's mine!"  
The hooves of her bulls and the wheels of her chariot chewed their way through the dragon's side, splitting its massive body in half as she charged right through it!

"Rider… you…!" Caster's voice almost seemed to snarl as the green light ignited in the sky again.

"What a fool!" declared Rider, the light suddenly glowing brilliantly in her crown before firing upwards, right towards Caster's green glow! This time, Caster barely had time to erect a barrier, and it almost instantly shattered! Even if weakened by the defense Skuld had created…! With a cry of surprise and pain, Caster fell!

And the bounded field cracked. Light began to show through the smallest cracks all over it, even if it was the faintest moonlight… and it grew. Many of the undead began to simply dissolve, few of them remaining in existence, being crushed under Rider's chariot… Saber could see Caster, now. She was injured, blood running down her small frame from her shoulder, but she was struggling to her feet as her bounded field began to break down further and further.

This time there wouldn't be any chance for her to escape! Drawing her blade parallel to her head, Saber erupted forward, clearing the distance between herself and Skuld in an instant, air almost seeming to explode behind her! Desperately, Caster attempted to conjure another barrier, but it was shattered by the tip of Saber's blade, and-!

"STOP!"

A girl had thrown herself in front of the green-eyed magus Servant, arms spread wide. She looked to be around the same age as Tsubaki, with pale skin, red eyes, and dark, short hair tied into a side ponytail. She was rather pretty, shaking as she stood with her arms outstretched.

Saber barely managed to stop herself, the tip of her katana stopping centimeters from piercing the girl's chest.

Was this… Yumimura Saori…?

Saber hesitated. She had vowed to do whatever she could to save Yumimura Saori, even knowing that she had become a vampire. But now… now the girl was protecting the one she was supposed to be saved from, using her own body to do so?

"I-I… I'm not going to pretend I know what the grail war is," Saori said, her arms outstretched in a bid to cover as much of the injured Caster as she possibly could, "And… and I know Caster is your enemy… But… b-but… she's the only reason I'm alive right now! She's not… even if it seems like it, Caster isn't a bad person!"

"I… that's…" Saber wasn't sure how to respond to this. Caster had saved Saori's life? How? Was that why the girl was now a Dead Apostle?

"… I… I know I'm not human anymore… and I know Caster is the one who did that to me…" Saori continued, her voice growing more quiet as she averted her eyes away from the girl samurai, "But… but I know… I know she did it to save me. Even if I… I get these… I want to do terrible things, I know the only reason I'm alive is because of that…"

The dark-haired girl took a deep breath.

"S-so I won't let you hurt her… you… you've won, haven't you? That's all you needed to do in the grail war, isn't it?"  
Caster, clutching her wounded shoulder, slowly got to her feet.

"Master…"

"So… so we'll just leave… I wanted my friends and family again, but… if we leave, it's fine, right? You won, right?"

Saber could see the desperation in Saori's crimson eyes. This wasn't what she had expected. She was expecting that Saori had been transformed into a vampire and pressed into being Caster's Master against her will, not that it had been something entirely willing. What's more, is she knew that she couldn't fulfill such a request. That wasn't how the Holy Grail War functioned. And yet… Could she bring herself to attack now? What was she supposed to do?

"… Master, you know that's not how it works… I told you as much, did I not?" asked Caster, "… All of this was my plan to make sure I won. But I won't die without a fight, nor will I leave this world simply to be followed by Saori," said Caster, clutching at her bleeding shoulder. "Do you understand that, Saber?"

Saber hesitated for a few moments. This was a very different look at Caster… was it because she lost that she was acting so accepting?

"… C-Caster, c-can't we j-" began Saori, but then… something appeared behind Caster.

It took only a moment for Saber to realize what it was. Assassin had appeared in an instant behind Skuld. Everything happened so fast.  
Assassin's blade plunged into Caster's back, emerging from her chest.

The only sound that came from the Servant was a wheeze, not even a cry of pain, as her green eyes widened. Just as quickly as it had entered her back, the blade was drawn back out, and Caster's limp body collapsed forward.

"C-Caster!" cried Saori, immediately reaching out to grasp the fallen girl in her hands, "N-no, you… you… er… y-you can survive this, can't you?"

For a few moments, Caster didn't respond.

"… I had planned ahead for everything… but that took me off… off guard…" she mumbled to herself, "… This time it was quick, at least, wasn't it…"

Saber's blade lowered. This was what she had been here to do, to slay Caster, and yet… this didn't feel like a victory. Still wearing her fox mask, Assassin looked down at the dying Caster in Saori's arms dispassionately.

"C-Caster! Y-you saved me, s-so can't you… c-can't you…"

Slowly, Caster reached up, her fingertips brushing Saori's cheek.

"… I… I worked hard to r-revive you, Master… so… don't waste the generosity of Princess Skuld…" she responded, her voice wavering, her breathing labored. By this point, tears had begun to roll down Saori's cheeks freely.

"Y-you're a Servant, c-can't you s-survive th-this? I-If you have m-mana, isn't th-that…"

But Saber could sense it in Saori's voice. She already knew the answer was no.

"… Don't die, Saori," said Caster, simply, "Or else… there really was no point… was there…?"

Her hand fell limply at her side.

"C-Caster?!" called Saori, her voice trembling. But there was no response. No, instead, the Servant's body began to dissipate into golden light.

Princess Skuld, summoned as Caster, was dead. Weakly, Saori clutched at the empty air that had once held Skuld's body, but there wasn't even the smallest remainder of the small girl. Shaking, Yumimura Saori finally began sobbing, burying her face in her hands.  
Assassin raised her blade.

Immediately, Saber intercepted it, thrusting her sword forward and blocking the weapon before Assassin could strike. The fox-masked Servant took a step back as her blade was forced up and away from the sobbing girl, and Saber stepped around her.

"No," she said, firmly, glaring directly at the mask, "There's no need to harm her. You've already slain Caster, that's enough!"

The swords pressed against one another, but, ultimately, Saber forced Assassin back. She had already defeated Assassin once, if it came to battle she felt certain she would do the same if it came to battle this time. Instead, Assassin quietly removed her mask.

"That girl is a vampire," she said, simply, "I intended to give her a swift death. Is that not all that is required?"

"It doesn't matter what she is," Saber replied. To be honest… she had no idea how things would work out for Yumimura Saori. But even as a manslayer, she couldn't raise her blade against a sobbing girl on her knees, even if that girl was a vampire. Aside from that, she'd been asked to save Saori. There was no way she would stand there and allow her to be killed! "I'm certain you remember the result of our last clash, don't you?"

Saber brought her katana parallel to her head once more, the blade glinting in the moonlight.

"Archer isn't going to save you, now."

"… I have no intention of fighting you," Assassin replied, lowering her sword as she spoke. While Assassin didn't elaborate, it was obvious what the reason was. Now that Saber fully understood Ranmaru's tricks and knew her identity, it was simple fact that Ranmaru did not have the capability to directly battle another Servant of the knight classes. Even considering Saber's relatively low parameters for her class. The girl samurai made up for that when it came to skill.

"I intended to end the threat of the vampire, that is all," asserted Assassin, stepping back, silently. No matter how dedicated she was to her duty, the fact remained that she was also no fool, and she would not begin a fight she knew she would not win. "If you wish to be foolish, so be it."

With that, Assassin swiftly vanished into the darkness. Saber was left alone with the sobbing Saori, though Rider was still nearby, as well. Slowly, she turned to face the girl, shifting uncertainly. Caster, who had moments ago been one of her enemies, was someone so very important to her… She wasn't certain what she could do in order to try and comfort her. Slowly, she reached out with one hand, and then hesitated. Saori was still sobbing…

"… Yumimura-san, I…" Saber paused for a moment as she tried to think. The girl was completely unresponsive to her voice… But she tried to speak to her, regardless. "Caster may have been my enemy, but I want to fulfill her wish. I don't want to see you die, and with her last breath, she wished for you to live. It's dangerous for you to stay here."

For several moments, all Saori did was cry. It wasn't as if Saber could blame her, now that she had learned just what Caster's true intentions towards her had been, but there was no way of knowing how the other Servants and Masters would respond to her. Would they attempt to kill her as Assassin had done? Saori was, of course, a vampire, but seeing her like this made it nearly impossible for the silvery-haired girl to believe that she deserved to be killed. It was clear, if nothing else, that her mind was intact. If she didn't want to die, as someone who had been dragged into the war unwillingly… No, it wasn't just unwillingly.

This war had shattered Yumimura Saori's life, hadn't it? Even after being saved here, there was no way things could go back to normal for her, was there? Even if it had been to save her life, she had been transformed into a vampire. Saber had no idea if there was any way for things to become normal after something like that. But regardless of anything, she was here to save her. Rider was, for the moment, mopping up lingering remnants of Caster's undead. Perhaps corpses she had personally raised rather then summoned through her Noble Phantasm were lasting longer.

Regardless of what Rider's reason was, it gave her the opportunity to try and get Saori out of here without any of the other Servants noticing. Gently, Saber leaned down and attempted to place a hand on the girl's shoulder, but she pulled away. For another moment, the girl samurai hesitated, before insistently placing her hand on Saori's shoulder once more.

"Yumimura-san, would Caster have wanted you to stay here and potentially be killed? You heard what she told you, didn't you?"  
Saori didn't respond, but, after a moment, she slowly got to her feet. "… This… this stupid grail war… if it d-didn't exist…"

The platinum blonde girl trembled, wrapping her arms around herself. Saber could see the tears still flowing. Her heart felt tight, she desperately wanted to say something to try and comfort the girl, but any words died in her throat. She was a manslayer, not someone suited to giving words of reassurance in a situation like this. No matter how she desired to do so.

Feeling another presence close by, Saber's hand tightened its grip on her katana as she turned to face towards it. To her surprise, it was Lancer, who appeared little worse for wear.

"Lancer?" asked Saber, keeping herself close to Saori in order to keep an eye on her, to ensure she didn't attempt to run away and put herself in danger, "What… what happened to Berserker?"

The blonde knight glanced towards Saori, immediately registering just how distraught the Dead Apostle girl truly was. It was still difficult, considering just how different the situation truly was compared to what Saber had believed it to be. The fact that Caster had chosen to transform Saori into a Dead Apostle in order to save her life, the fact that Caster had genuinely cared for the girl and wished to protect her… It was totally different then what they had thought.

"I… Berserker suddenly disengaged from battle," Lancer began, "I cannot be certain as to why, but it was shortly after the dome began to break apart."

She turned her gaze to Saori, who was still crying, though not as loudly.

"… Did Caster…" she trailed off, but it was obvious what she had been trying to ask. Saber simply nodded.

"… Yumimura-san… she needs to be taken somewhere safe," Saber managed, finally, glancing sadly towards the girl, who by now was simply staring quietly at her feet. "And… given some time to herself…"

No matter what, Saber found it unlikely that trying to discuss Caster's fate openly in front of Saori wouldn't help her. On top of that, even if Skuld had been her enemy, the girl samurai couldn't help but feel guilty. She was part of the reason for the state of misery that Yumimura Saori had been left in. Caster's death had felt wrong, it hadn't felt like she had won. Assassin appearing out of no-where to stab Caster in the back…

This was no victory she could be proud of. Certainly, she felt pride in defeating the Quilled Boar, but in defeating Caster…

This was nothing to be celebrated.


	9. Chapter 9

What was she supposed to do, watching and waiting like this? There was no feedback from Saber, nothing. No-one was talking. She didn't think starting a conversation would make it any better, though.

Ai trembled. All that anyone in this group could rely on was their Servants. It wasn't that their Servants were unreliable, but there were so many variables to this situation… There was nothing that she could do. Nothing that any single one of the Masters here could do. Slowly, Ai's golden eyes drifted across the other Masters. There was Tsubaki, of course. Theomanius… he seemed like a decent person, which was surprising given the tactics he had instructed Archer to use… Marion was standing next to him, and occasionally the magus patted the tiny girl on the head.

Genjiro, on the other hand… something about him made her nervous. He was such an imposing-looking man, saying and doing little… Simply standing and watching.

Finally, there was Assassin's Master. Shimada Yukiko. While it was hardly anything Ai was experienced with, the one thing that the kimono-wearing girl's appearance practically screamed to her was that she was somehow related to the yakuza. But… she doubted organized crime was somehow involved in the Grail War normally. So… was she a magus and a part of the yakuza, or were her looks deceiving?

… All of this wasn't really helping keep her mind off of her concerns. Ai had no idea what was happening in the forest. But as long as those command seals remained on the back of her right hand, at least she knew that Saber was still alive. The grim atmosphere was weighing on her so heavily, now… And nothing she could try and think of, not the other Masters nor anything else, was helping to keep her calm.

"… It's hard to tell from here, but I can tell the fighting has begun," said Tsubaki, finally, "Even if we can't see it, I can hear it."

After a moment's pause, Ai leaned forward. And indeed… she could hear the distant sounds of blades clashing, the louder echo of gunfire… there was no question of it, the fight had begun.

"I'm certain that Assassin shall make it there first," commented Yukiko, with a calm flourish, "And take care of Caster before the others even make it to that black spot."

"This isn't any sort of competition," responded Theomanius, "Our purpose here is to stop any sort of incident that threatens the secrecy of the war. It does not matter which Servant is the one who kills Caster."

That was what it was meant to be like, right? At this point, she just hoped things would end well. That Caster would be defeated, and that Saber and Lancer would be able to safely rescue Yumimura Saori. After that… they would have to get Saori somewhere safe, even if she was a Dead Apostle…

There was so much she had to worry about… and she had no idea how well Saber was doing in the fight. From here, all that they could do was listen to the sounds of the battle.

"So this is where you all went?"

That sweet little voice… it was hard not to forget. Not so long ago, when they had chased Caster to the top of a skyscraper, and Berserker had interrupted their pursuit… Alysvial von Einzbern. Berserker's Master. She had appeared here unannounced, by surprise, even though… didn't Berserker attempt to attack Archer when he went to discuss a ceasefire?

"… Alysvial… von Einzbern," Theomanius began, eyes widening with surprise as he spoke to the incredibly pale, red-eyed little girl. "I… thought you had expressed your lack of interest in a ceasefire."

"I did," replied Alysvial, with a bright smile, "But I just sent Berserker to kill all of your Servants. Since you're separated, this means he won't have to go destroying anyone else!"

For a few moments, the other Masters stared in wide-eyed silence. Ai could hardly believe it. Not only had the little girl behaved as if she was completely clueless about the situation that she had been placed into, but she also came here as if she thought nothing could possibly go wrong. The small brunette felt as if Alysvial had placed her life in immediate danger just coming here.

"You… what are you thinking?!" demanded Tsubaki, immediately, stepping towards the incredibly pale little girl as she did. Rather then giving any kind of response for a moment, Alysvial simply cocked her head in confusion.

"We're here to kill each other's Servants, aren't we? You just happened to all go after Caster!" she declared, "Killing other Masters isn't necessary, so I wanted to go and see what was going on."

Every time Alysvial spoke, Ai could tell that this was something the little girl genuinely believed. She didn't want to kill any other Masters either, but she had no idea what the other Masters would have to say about that. She knew Tsubaki had no intention of killing any other Masters, at least, but…

"… How… quaint," commented Yukiko, placing her fan to her lips as she spoke, "Well, if she wants to step into a lion's den, is there any need to stop her?"

"I… you…" Tsubaki clenched her fists, glancing from the kimono-wearing girl and then to Alysvial, who seemed totally oblivious to the potential threat to her life.

"… The latest child of the Einzbern, I see," intoned Genjiro, eyes traveling over the white-haired girl's tiny frame, "How… unexpected in this situation."

There was nothing that Genjiro had done that Ai had liked, and this was no exception. But his voice and expression displayed no ill intent. If anything, he was simply surprised that the only Master who had not agreed to the ceasefire had shown up here alone, having sent her Servant away from her, and plainly stating her intent to have Berserker slay all the other Servants.

But really, Ai didn't like anything about this at all.

Alysvial was an enemy, but that didn't change the fact that she was a child. Unlike… whatever had presumably happened to Natsuki Yukihiro, Ai didn't want someone like the Einzbern girl to be killed in the course of the war. No matter how dangerous Berserker was. But… maybe, given the fact that all the Masters were assembled in the same place, it would be unlikely that even the most cold of them would attempt to kill the white-haired little girl. Maybe, just maybe, she could rely on that. Nervously, the small brunette kept glancing towards Alysvial, who was looking towards the forest with everyone else.

And then…

There was a hole in the sky. It looked like an enormous hole had opened in the sky. And from it…

"That… that's a Phantasmal Beast!" cried Theomanius, wide-eyed. There was a gigantic boar descending from the hole, its body covered in spines.

"No… no way, was that… Caster could summon something like that?" Tsubaki spoke, wide-eyed. Even from here, they could see the enormous creature as it towered over the forest, massive and terrible, fire in its eyes. Even from this distance they could feel its massive footfalls.

"… It's scary, but… Berserker will kill it for sure!" declared Alysvial, confidently. She was so certain… Ai wished she could be as well. The fear building in her chest was making it difficult to even speak, but the beast was failing to even advance. Were their Servants holding the enormous beast back?

Ai shook her head.

"C-Caster… Caster is a necromancer, and she summoned a g-giant Quilled Boar…" she half-mumbled to herself, her mind racing even through her terror. She remembered, during her research, one of the Norse myths she had read. The tale of Hrolfr Hraki. His half-sister, Skuld, had been of mixed blood, and was a powerful magus with the capability of raising the dead and commanding a gigantic Quilled Boar. "… I-If that's the case… she m-must… she must be Princess Skuld!"

"… I… I think you're right, Ai-san," replied Tsubaki, taking a deep breath as she did, "If one of us has realized that, there's no way our Servants haven't."

After all, with the assistance of the throne, Servants could know of myths totally foreign to them in life. On one hand, the Quilled Boar was terrifying. Ai could hear its footfalls, its enormous bellows… but if it was a figure from Skuld's myth that they could recognize, then…

"… We cannot allow this to cause us to lose faith in our Servants," began Theomanius, "If Caster has revealed her identity, they may be able to find a way to combat her. There is little we can do from here, though…"

"Berserker will kill that, then he'll kill Caster, then he'll kill all the others!" stated Alysvial, proudly, "There's nobody in the war stronger then him, not even a monster like that!"

"That sort of confidence is absolutely foolish," commented Yukiko, which earned her a look from the tiny Einzbern girl. "… Regardless, our Servants are heroes and other renowned figures from the past, are they not? Slaying monsters is something of a specialty for them."

This was true… but Okita Souji hadn't exactly been a monster hunter in life. And it was impossible to know exactly what the Quilled Board was capable of without any further information on it. She thought she could see it firing quills off of its body, though… Ah, the fact that they were going to face a Phantasmal Beast had never even crossed Ai's mind before this point. How did you handle something like this?

The only Master who wasn't visibly reacting was Genjiro, who still seemed quite calm. Had he figured out something like this could happen? To be honest, it wasn't exactly impossible, was it? There were all kinds of legends about heroes with mastery over beasts, so being able to summon one… it was something Ai should have thought of.

Not that she would have been able to do much of anything if she had. That beast was enormous… It looked like Medb had been attacking it without even leaving a scratch. Was there anything their Servants could do to harm it?

No-one was saying anything, and there was hardly any way that Ai could blame them for it. There was no sense in trying to say something to indicate their Servant's abilities in trying to plan for what could happen. More than that, their Servants were already engaged in battle, some distance away. There wasn't any way to communicate and plan with them. Even telepathically, there was only so much they could do to try and coordinate a plan.

All they could do was wait and hope.

As every Servant waited with baited breath, Ai thought she could see Saber riding on top of Medb's chariot, now, fending off a series of undead… wyverns? That was what they looked like. Each footfall from the enormous boar was like an earthquake… But then, suddenly, it stopped moving? Had it fallen?

Caster joined the fight, but it was too little, too late. Moments later, even from this distance, Ai could tell…

"They… they killed it!" she cried.

"… So that's the power of heroic spirits, then?" mused Tsubaki, letting out a sigh of relief as she spoke.

Theomanius patted Marion on the head again, the little familiar having been shaking with fear at the sight of the gigantic boar.

"Excellent…" he said, relieved, "Now it's a matter of defeating Caster."

It was true. There was still one final enemy remaining. Caster had yet to be defeated. Adjusting her glasses, Ai thought she could see the distant shape of the enemy Servant fleeing into the enormous black dome. From this point onward, the battle was once again impossible to see. Moreso, in fact, due to the fact that it was going to be taking place inside of Caster's black spot. All Ai could do now was hope for the best. There was no way of knowing what was inside of it, after all. By this point, she could guess it was some sort of bounded field, but whatever function it had was a complete mystery.

And then she could feel it. There was almost a pressure in the air, as something suddenly exuded an enormous amount of power. It was like the very mana in the environment was weighing down on all of them in that single moment. Glancing around in shock, Ai looked towards Tsubaki, who seemed to be just as stunned at the sudden pressure as she did.

"This is… could this be-"

Even if they hadn't seen the brilliant flash of rainbow light from here, the sound of it, the massive explosion of noise, would have indicated what had just happened. One of the servants had just used an anti-army Noble Phantasm in order to completely shatter the side of the black dome and open it up. Even from here, Ai could see the enormous hole cracked into the side of the obsidian-like black spot.

"That was… that was an anti-army Noble Phantasm," exclaimed Theomanius, breathlessly, is his eyes wide. Even Alysvial seemed speechless at the sight of such an incredibly powerful display of magical energy. "There's no question of it… in all my life, I've never seen something so powerful…"

The only one who didn't seem to have much of a reaction was Genjiro, once again. It seemed remarkably difficult to phase the imposing man, but in this case his eyes simply narrowed. It was almost as if he was irritated with something… had that Noble Phantasm been Medb's? Was he angry that Rider had revealed her Noble Phantasm just like that? If that was the case, he didn't say anything. If anything, it was almost as if he was now looking at something that wasn't there. Ai didn't understand. Her heart was still hammering from seeing such an enormously destructive display, what could he possibly have been looking at instead?

Something caught the corner of the small brunette's eye, and she glanced towards it. Had something moved behind Alysvial…?

There was no questioning it, it was like the air itself was warping… and that was… mana? Wait…!

Ai acted before thinking, magical energy flowing up her arms. It was a simple spell she had practiced so many times, something even someone like her felt somewhat confident in performing even under pressure. Condensing moisture in the air was a baseline spell for someone with an affinity like hers. It was just a matter of shaping it… she didn't even need to speak the words of the spell in order to do this.

Condensing the water and freezing it, as the air warped in front of her. Some small part of Ai realized she had no idea what she was doing, but the rest of her… If she didn't do anything, Alysvial would probably die, wouldn't she? Even though the Einzbern girl was an enemy, even if she wasn't sure she could do this…

She didn't want to see a little girl die.

"Ai?!" she heard Tsubaki's voice, as a barrier of ice formed between herself and the warping air.

There was a sound like one of Archer's gunshots. It was hard to see through the ice barrier, but Ai could see the cracks instantly form in her shield. Moments later it shattered, and a sudden eruption of course sent her flying backwards, bowling Alysvial over as she turned to try and push the little girl down.

They both hit the earth, hard, the red-eyed child letting out a yelp of surprise beneath her. Ai was trembling with fear, but given she was alive she felt certain that her barrier had worked well enough to absorb the blast. Just what was that?!

"… What?!" cried Theomanius, "Who… that was absolutely a spell meant to kill!"

"… So? This is a Holy Grail War," commented Yukiko, fluttering her fan in front of her face, looking remarkably calm for the moment, "You're a Magus from the Clock Tower, aren't you? You should know that just as well as anyone else. She's the Master of Berserker. She risked her life even coming here."

"… I am a magus of the Clock Tower, indeed," replied Theomanius, adjusting his tie, "But even in this situation, murdering another of the Masters, even one who is a direct enemy, without a fight…"

"… Hm? So the cutthroat magus from London is the one who speaks out against it first?" commented Genjiro, "Perhaps trying to cover his tracks? Not that I'd blame anyone for attempting to remove a Master from the Einzbern family covertly…"

"… I may conduct myself with caution and subtlety, but I would not partake in such an action," responded Theomanius, firmly. Marion was giving Genjiro a rather intense glare, for such a small girl.

"… Ai-san, are you alright?" asked Tsubaki, kneeling beside the small brunette. Before responding, Ai quickly got off of Alysvial, gently trying to pull the stunned little girl into a sitting position. "Is… she okay? I knew something was going on, but…"

"I-I… think so… Um… Einzbern-san…?" Ai half-mumbled, her heartbeat hammering in her chest. When she'd jumped in, she hadn't been entirely sure if her spell would work like it had. But even if Alysvial was her enemy, letting a child die was just completely wrong. When it came to the Einzbern girl, the only true solution in the small brunette's mind was killing Berserker without harming her.

"… A-ah… I… I…"

The white-haired little girl was trembling, her red eyes wide. Was this the first time she had ever been placed in that sort of danger? Even if Alysvial had participated in the Grail War so far, she hadn't been attacked directly before, and the way in which she had behaved previously… it was obvious that she'd never felt like her life had been threatened previously. In a matter of moments, that had changed.

"B-BERSERKER!" cried the tiny girl. Eyes widening, Ai tried to scoot back and away from Alysvial. All of the other Masters immediately went on guard as well, raising their arms, command seals visible. If Berserker came back and attacked…!  
The huge, dark-skinned man erupted from the foliage, almost immediately scooping Alysvial into one arm and raising one of his golden axes with the other! Desperately, Ai raised her hand, to summon Saber to her side, but then…!

"N-no… not her… we… w-we need to leave…"

It was Alysvial.

There were a few moments of silence, as the collected Masters stared at the hulking Servant. Berserker looked at the little girl in his arms, before quietly transferring her to his shoulder…

And then he was leaving, just like that.

For a few moments, all Ai could do was stare after the massive figure as he walked away, the tiny girl riding on his shoulder. He hadn't attacked… all it had taken was for Alysvial to tell him no. The Einzbern girl and the massive, dark-skinned man were her enemies, but… somehow, even thought the small brunette's heart was pounding, her hands shaking, she found herself glad that it had gone peacefully and that the both of them had been able to leave here.

"… Hmph," huffed Yukiko, turning away, raising her fan to her face. Shakily, Ai got to her feet, assisted by Tsubaki.

"Whoever attempted that attack should have finished it," commented Genjiro, "Now the Einzbern homunculus is going to be much more dangerous, after surviving an attempt on her life."

He glanced around at the other present Masters.

"And any one of you could have been responsible."

Ai knew she wasn't. And she knew Tsubaki couldn't have been, either. That left Theomanius, Yukiko, and Genjiro. She didn't think Theomanius, no matter how underhanded he had been in battles between Servants, would use such a tactic. But at the same time, Alysvial hadn't been a part of the ceasefire, had she? Yukiko seemed to think that Alysvial was throwing herself into danger just by coming here, but did that mean that she had done it? Genjiro was acting as if he hadn't done it, but Ai didn't know what to think of him…

Suddenly, Marion pointed. Both Ai and Tsubaki's gaze travelled to the place the tiny familiar was pointing towards.

"The black spot, it's falling apart!" declared Tsubaki. Indeed, it was collapsing, disintegrating into nothingness. Given that it had been created by Caster, this could mean only one thing. And that was that Caster was now dead. In spite of what had just occurred, Ai felt herself relaxing a little. Saber had survived the battle, and now an incredibly dangerous enemy Servant had been defeated. Now she could only hope that Yumimura Saori was still safe…

"And so our ceasefire as at an end," Yukiko said, flicking her fan closed as she spoke. "Good. I much prefer it this way. Playing at being allies in a game where only one can be left standing is rather foolish, is it not?"

"No matter what your personal feelings may be, I don't think it can be denied that this temporary alliance is why we were able to defeat Caster before she became an even greater threat," responded Theomanius, raising an eyebrow as he spoke.

"I think the one who thinks that even temporary allegiances are foolish is the one who's a fool," said Tsubaki, folding her arms as she did. Ai could tell that the tanned girl was rather irritated with the way in which Yukiko was behaving, "Unless you want to ignore what our Servants accomplished here."

"I'm not about to ignore such things, but I'm not so foolish as to become invested in a temporary partnership," responded Yukiko, cocking her head slightly to one side as she spoke, "We're brought together by circumstance. Only an idiot would forget that we're meant to be killing one another."

"Th… that… w-we might be destined to be enemies, but… th-there's no need to kill other Masters, is there?" asked Ai, her voice trembling. Deep down, she knew why one Master may choose to kill another. It was possible that a contract between a Masterless Servant and a Servantless Master could be forged, creating a new threat that could reenter the Holy Grail War. But… She didn't want to do that. From the small brunette's perspective, the battle between Servants was enough. They were more prepared to die, having done it once themselves to become heroic spirits anyway.

"… Hmph, what a naïve little girl," responded Yukiko, waving her fan, "It's distasteful, but killing your enemies is the only way to advance in this war. You may think me heartless, but that is what a magus must be."

As she spoke, the now-familiar visage of Assassin clad in her fox mask materialized from the darkness behind her.

Ai hesitated. She knew that a magus was supposed to cut their emotions away from their work. But… murdering another human, it wasn't something she could even imagine herself doing. Only in the most extreme scenario could she ever even begin to contemplate doing such a thing.

Before she could manage to speak up, however, Tsubaki did.

"I know that, and I'm sure Ai-san does as well," the tanned girl began, "But… if we only need to kill the other Servants… why should we recklessly end more lives then we have to? The church is set up as a refuge for Masters who have left the war for a reason. There's no need to kill anyone else!"

"… You act as if I said I enjoy the killing," replied the long-haired girl in the elegant kimono, Assassin standing silently behind her, "I don't. But it's a necessary evil to ensure victory. Nothing more, and nothing less."

"… Anyone who is not prepared to kill another has no business being a Master in the Holy Grail War," said Genjiro, suddenly, stepping forward as he did, "Death is simply a part of this battle. I wouldn't hesitate to end any one of your lives, and neither should you."

Ai's hands clenched into fists. It wasn't that she didn't truly understand that, if she had no other choice, she may have to kill someone… but she didn't see any reason to kill another Master if that wasn't the case. Even when it came to a monster like Berserker, killing his Master in order to stop her Servant would never have been something she could accept. Even if a bastard like Natsuki Yukihiro was defenseless in front of her, she wouldn't have been able to kill him in cold blood. No matter what a disgusting person he was.

"It's not as if I wouldn't defend myself," snapped Tsubaki, "But killing someone in cold blood is out of the question!"

"There's no such thing as murder in cold blood when it comes to a war," responded Yukiko, with a shrug. Ai was angry. Not simply at the people who were advocating slaughtering a Master even if their Servant was already dead, but at herself for being unable to speak up. All she had done was clench her hands into fists and tremble slightly, but any time she attempted to speak her words died in her throat. She'd been leaving Tsubaki to try and argue for her, and there was nothing she could bring herself to do in order to help.

At this moment, Ai hated herself for her inability to speak up.

"However, I'm not a fool. Challenging you to a fight here would likely lose me my dear Assassin," Yukiko continued, glancing back at the mask-wearing Servant as she did, "And I'm not about to place her in a situation where failure is the only option. When we meet again-"

The red-eyed girl flicked her fan shut.

"-It will be as enemies. For your sake, I hope you have abandoned your naivete by then."

Assassin seemed to disappear into her shadow as she turned to leave, departing at a sedate pace away from the meeting area. She didn't even seem concerned.

Theomanius sighed heavily, but said nothing else. Deflated even more then she had already been, Ai's shoulders sagged.

"… Hmph," huffed Tsubaki, "That's how she acts, but there's no way she won't be glad to be alive when she's beaten, is there?"  
Genjiro cocked his head to the side.

"Overconfidence and naivete… It would be so easy for another Master to take advantage of your foolishness," said the tall, dark-haired man, narrowing his eyes as he spoke, "Anyone could be deceiving either of you, and you wouldn't know it. Perhaps you should keep that in mind. Or should I consider your participation in this war an act of suicide?"

Anger rose in Ai's chest once more, but she yet again found herself unable to speak.

"… Your all-powerful Rider isn't here to protect you, Hirata-san," Tsubaki nearly spat, glaring at Genjiro as she spoke, "I certainly won't kill you, but that doesn't mean I won't knock you flat."

"And impatient as well… I can't help but agree with Shimada-san," he replied, with a wave of his hand, "You're absolutely mentally unfit for this war. It's a wonder you made it this far. This is a battle in which the weak are devoured by the strong, and the strings are pulled by the wise. You would do best to recognize these facts before we meet again."

Ai could see Tsubaki raising her fist, her entire body trembling with anger. She was about to attack Genjiro with barely any hesitation!

But then, the rumbling noise of Rider's chariot approached, and moments later the bulls erupted from the forest, coming to a halt. Naturally, Medb was astride it.

Reluctantly, Tsubaki lowered her fist.

"Your Queen is back~" declared the pink-haired Rider-class Servant, smiling cheerfully as she spread her arms wide, "And Caster is most certainly dead. She never stood a chance, really~"

Of course, it was easy enough for a Servant to pick up on the tense atmosphere, and Medb cocked her head to one side.

"What were you doing? It was probably boring, knowing you," she said with a dismissive sigh, waving her hand towards Genjiro. "You never do anything fun."

Ai was shaking, with anger at Genjiro and towards herself. His entire attitude, everything about him, from the moment she had seen him, made her angry. But at the same time, she couldn't make herself speak. She was choking on her own words. No matter how angry she became… she wasn't able to force herself to speak. It was like the pressure behind a dam was building and building, but never breaking.

"I was simply instructing these children on what their prospects were," Genjiro said to his Servant, simply, "If they continue to try and avoid killing Masters, their fate is essentially sealed. Soft hearts will get them no-where, so-"

"SHUT UP!"

The dam broke.

"You keep talking like you know everything, that you understand everything!" snapped Ai, spreading her arms, "But do you have any idea?! What makes you so certain, so absolutely certain, that the only way the war can be won is slaughtering all the other Masters in cold blood, no matter how defenseless they are after their Servant has been defeated?! How do you know?! How do you know that's what we have to do!?"

She stepped towards the tall man, shaking with rage.

"The last time I checked, the only requirements for winning the war was to kill all the other Servants!" she cried, her hands clutched into fists, "It's not like I'm happy about that, either, but that's as far as it needs to go! Becoming a murderer and slaughtering all the other Masters as well!? And don't you… don't you DARE claim Inoue-san doesn't have the right to be in this war!"

Her heart was hammering in her chest. Everly last ounce of her frustration was pouring out all at once.

"I know I'm not someone who should be here. But Inoue-san… Inoue-san works hard, Inoue-san's been doing her best since the start of this war… So don't you dare keep saying she's unworthy!"

For a few moments, Genjiro was silent. Then, Ai thought she saw him smile just slightly, as if he was somehow satisfied by the small brunette's reaction.

"… So that's what you think, then," he said, simply. "… We're leaving, Rider. There's nothing more we need to accomplish here, for now."

He waved his hand towards his Servant as he began to leave. He didn't even seem phased at all.

Medb, however, paused as she passed by Ai and Tsubaki, glancing down at the small brunette, who was still quivering with a mixture of anger and nerves.

"… I suppose I can see why Saber came to you, now," she commented, with a small, somewhat amused smile, before turning and continuing to calmly leave, her entire chariot, along with herself, fading into motes of golden light.

Slowly, Ai's shoulders sagged, and she took a deep breath, as Genjiro steadily vanished from sight.

"… So that's that, I suppose," Theomanius said, sighing once more, "I had hoped that, perhaps, we could part on better terms. Even as enemies, we are all linked by our competition for the Holy Grail, are we not?"

He noticed that Marion seemed somewhat distressed by the recent flurry of activity, the explosion and the argument that had ensued, and patted her head in a comforting fashion. The small familiar fidgeted silently.

"… There's no way I could ever be on good terms with someone like him," Ai said, finally. To her, Genjiro was simply someone she couldn't tolerate being around.

Not even her nerves could have stopped her from speaking up to him any longer.

"… I can tell," commented the magus of the Clock Tower, finally.

"… Hmph, that bastard's probably going off to act like he won some kind of victory here," complained Tsubaki, folding her arms. Ai didn't exactly need to go asking how the tanned girl felt about Genjiro, really. "… I'm surprised you spoke up like that so quickly, Ai-san."

Suddenly, Ai found herself feeling self-conscious. She'd had an outburst like that so suddenly…

"I… ah… er…"

"… But right now, there's more important things to worry about then him," Tsubaki continued, turning towards the forest. She was right, after all. Their Servants still hadn't returned, and they needed to safely retrieve Yumimura Saori… There had been no communication from Saber or Lancer(presumably) for some time now. Ai's anger at Genjiro was giving way to concern. Had something happened…? Could something have happened? Caster was dead, after all, but…

The small brunette fidgeted. She couldn't help but start to worry, it was just in her nature, especially when something serious like this was going on.

And then…

One of the Dead stepped from the forest, groaning. For a moment, Ai was stunned. Wasn't Caster dead?! Then why were her summoned undead still walking around!? But even as it stepped from the forest, Tsubaki and Theomanius readied themselves. A single walking corpse wasn't enough to be a threat to three magi.

"Caster's dead, why is that still walking around?!" Tsubaki slid her feet into a ready stance, as Theomanius reached into his jacket.  
But, as it turned out, that wasn't necessary.

Almost as soon as the animated body emerged from the foliage, a pitch blade blade erupted from its chest, slicing its way upwards to split the corpse in two from its waste to its head. The body fell to the ground with a thud.

"… My my," said the voice of Estrizia. Moments later, the blonde nun stepped out of the forest, a series of long black blades clutched between her fingers, "It seems Caster's meddling in the dead has disturbed the spirits lingering in this forest."

She sighed.

"This will take some time to clean up… oh, dear…" her eyes travelled over the remaining Masters, "… Ah, I see that some of you have already departed. Congratulations for your defeat of Caster."

"… Caster disturbed the spirits in the forest?" Tsubaki asked. Ai's eyes were still on the black blades between Estrizia's fingers. There was no mistaking them for anything else. Those were certainly, absolutely, Black Keys. The signature tool of an executor of the Church. If the way that the blonde nun had happily charged into the forest to take on the undead hadn't already strongly indicated just what she truly was, then the fact that she was clutching conceptual weapons made for the purpose of destroying the enemies of the Church most definitely did.

Estrizia was an Executor, in addition to being a nun. Perhaps this explained her unusual behavior for a nun. Well… unusual was one word for it, at least. Ai still felt a little embarrassed at the memory of the red-eyed nun's behavior when she had brought Saber to the chapel.

"Indeed," replied Estrizia, with a friendly smile in spite of the subject matter, "Her control of the spirits dwelling in this stretch of land has caused them to become far more active then they were previously. They have begun possessing the bodies of the dead that she summoned. How… bothersome. How ever can I relieve the frustrations this is causing me…"

She hardly seemed particularly frustrated, but she did cast a sidelong glance towards both Ai and Tsubaki. Given what her behavior had been like in the chapel, it wasn't particularly difficult to guess exactly what she was(teasingly?) implying. It looked like Tsubaki had easily figured it out too, judging by her expression.

But there were far more important matters on Ai's mind. If Estrizia was an executor, there was no way she would ignore the presence of a Dead Apostle like Saori. That meant that the girl's life was being placed in even further danger then it was already.

"Is there any way we can assist in quelling them, overseer?" asked Theomanius. Marion didn't appear to like the appearance of the Executor very much, clinging to her Master's sleeve as she attempted to hide most of her body behind the man, peering at Estrizia from behind him.

"Aside from lending the service of your Servants once more, there's little else that can be done," responded the nun, still smiling, "And I'm hardly about to lean on that courtesy so soon. Hmm… where are your Servants, by the way?"

"They haven't returned yet," answered Tsubaki, quickly. Perhaps somewhat too quickly, but was there any reason for Estrizia to expect anything? Ai hoped that she didn't, but she could never be entirely certain.

"Ah, I see," replied the executor. At the very least, she didn't seem to suspect that anything was out of the ordinary. "Perhaps they have taken it upon themselves to help clearing out the unruly spirits?"

Estrizia let out what Ai would normally consider to be a beautiful laugh, but at the moment it only served to make her more nervous.

"I can only hope, at least."

After a moment's pause, the executor looked rather thoughtful.

"Perhaps I should remain behind to ensure your safety, until the return of your Servants?" she mused, "It would be a shame if any one of you were somehow killed in the act of quelling this threat to the town, and the secrecy of the war."

Ah… how to respond to that? On one hand, it would look strange if they immediately rejected her offer out of hand. But on the other hand, if she remained behind, it was possible that she'd learn about Yumimura Saori. For that matter, Theomanius had to leave too, didn't he? There was no telling what he'd do, seeing a Dead Apostle.

As a magus of the Clock Tower, it was likely he would proceed to try and kill Saori due to the danger she potentially posed to the secrecy of the war, and of magecraft in general. No matter how friendly he might seem now, Ai couldn't help but shake this belief.

Thankfully, the Clock Tower Magus was the first to respond.

"That won't be necessary, Overseer," he said, with a nod of his head, "You have a duty to attend to, do you not?"

"I suppose that is the case, isn't it?" replied Estrizia, still smiling as she brandished her black keys, cocking her head to one side. She seemed rather eager to get back to the slaughter of the undead, really…

With that, she turned on her heel and vanished into the forest, disappearing from view in an instant. Ai found herself relaxing again. She could only hope that the Executor didn't happen across their Servants and Saori… There was no way such a meeting would end well.

It was only moments later that Archer suddenly materialized beside Theomanius. Marion's eyes seemed to light up at the sight of the cowboy Servant, though she said nothing.

"All wrapped up, Master. Caster's not gonna be a problem any longer," he commented, resting his revolver on his shoulder as he spoke.

"So I noticed," responded Theomanius, as Marion quietly tugged on Archer's sleeve and offered him a piece of candy. After a moment of silence, Archer accepted it and patted the tiny girl on the head.

"In any case, as many of the other Masters have pointed out, when we next meet it shall be as enemies," continued the Clock Tower magus, addressing both Ai and Tsubaki, "Until then, I bid you farewell."

With that, he turned and began to leave, without even waiting for a response. Ai had to guess that it was because of the situation. After all, they were going to be enemies soon enough, so a long goodbye seemed rather unlikely. As Theomanius left, Marion followed him. Archer simply glanced at the both of them, tipped his hat, and then vanished entirely into spirit form, golden lights drifting away.

Now, Ai and Tsubaki were alone. Ai shifted nervously. They hadn't been contacted by Saber or Lancer in any way… had something happened? But their command seals remained, and neither Servant had given them any sort of communication…

When Ai was certain Theomanius was long gone, she finally spoke.

"… I… I hope they were able to save Yumimura-san…" the small brunette said, finally. She'd never actually met Yumimura Saori before, but that didn't mean she wasn't frightened for her safety. All of this was scary… just why hadn't Saber and Lancer said anything? Why…

"If it had gone wrong, I'm certain that Lancer would have contacted me," Tsubaki asserted, "There's no way she wouldn't let me know just what was happening, no matter how badly it had gone. They're probably trying to be careful for Yumimura-san's sake."

No matter what Tsubaki said, it was hard not to notice that she was worried too. Saori had been her friend, after all.

It was around that moment when the brush suddenly rustled. And from the forest emerged Saber, followed by a dark-haired girl, pale girl. Her eyes were downcast and she didn't appear to want to look anywhere other than her feet, but the moment Ai saw how Tsubaki reacted to the sight of her she knew exactly who it was.

Yumimura Saori.

The tanned girl's eyes widened, and she took a step forward, weakly reaching out. Behind the girl emerged Lancer, glancing back towards the forest as she stepped out of the foliage, for a moment, before looking forward.

"… We… we were waiting until we were certain no-one else remained, before making our way back," explained Saber. Ai couldn't help but notice how dour her tone sounded… this wasn't the usual enthusiasm that her Servant displayed.

"… Yumimura-san?" asked Tsubaki, hesitatingly, as she glanced towards the silent girl between the two Servants. There was no response.

"… Master, what she needs at the moment… she needs rest, Master," Lancer responded. Her voice was hesitating, uncertain. Ai couldn't help but become more concerned. Saori was a Dead Apostle now, after all, so there was any number of things that could have gone wrong.

"… What happened, Lancer?" asked Tsubaki, taking her eyes off of Saori for only a moment to look towards her Servant.

The blonde knight was silent for several moments before managing to make a response.

"… I think, for her sake, it is best not to discuss it here."

Best not to discuss it here… Just what had Caster been doing to the girl? She had barely done anything since she was brought out of the forest, aside from simply staring down at her feet in silence. Or… was it possible it wasn't Caster's actions that had caused it?

"Best not to discuss it? What did Caster do to her?!" cried Tsubaki, taking another step forward. For a moment, Ai thought she heard Saori mumble something, but it was too quiet to be audible.

"Inoue-san, you should listen to Lancer," Saber said, "It's… best not to talk about it here. Master, that goes for you, too…"

The normally-enthusiastic Servant trailed off after a few moments.

"… Then… let's go," Ai said, taking a deep breath. If Saori needed to rest, well… they needed time to figure out how they could help her anyway. Ai had no idea how to assist with a Dead Apostle, and she had never heard of any way in which to 'cure' them. She didn't think there was one. But maybe there was some way to keep their urges under control.

"… You're right," Tsubaki said, finally, her eyes still fixed on the pale girl. Lancer placed a hand on Saori's shoulder, and, slowly, they began to head away from the forest, following Tsubaki's lead. Every once in a while, Tsubaki glanced back at Saori, as if to make sure she was still there. When Tsubaki started to take a less direct route through back allies, Ai understood exactly why. She didn't want any of the other combatants to know what they were doing.

After a long period of walking, Saori suddenly stopped, clutching at her forehead.

"I… my throat… it feels so hot…" Ai heard the girl mumble, immediately turning to face her. Those were the first words that she'd heard Saori say. Before she could approach her, however, Tsubaki had turned around and stepped towards the pale, red-eyed girl.

Almost immediately, Saori let out a scream and pulled away.

"N-no! Without her… w-without her to help, I'll… I want to… D-don't come near me!"

It was clear even Saber and Lancer were surprised by the sudden force and speed Yumimura Saori pulled away with. While she wasn't as fast as Saber, she was quickly turning the corner as she ran.

"Saori!" cried Tsubaki, breaking into a sprint. Ai didn't need to know everything about Dead Apostles to know what Saori was feeling. She'd wanted to feed… They had to help her! The small brunette, too, picked upper her pace and ran after the vampire, though naturally their Servants outpaced both of the Masters quite quickly.

But when they reached the alleyway, Yumimura Saori was no longer there. In spite of it being a dead end, it almost seemed as if the Dead Apostle had completely vanished into thin air.

Except…

There was someone in her place.

She was a small girl, not much larger than Ai herself, with a dark skintone, purple eyes, and long lavender hair. She was wearing a black and purple coat of sorts with a beret, and purple and gold thigh-high socks, with white shoes.

For a few moments, Ai felt a sense of déjà vu. Hadn't she seen a girl like this somewhere? Even if this was hardly the time to be thinking about it, the small brunette knew she would remember having seen a girl who looked like this…

"Who are you, and what did you do with the girl?" Lancer immediately demanded, raising her weapon immediately, pointing the razor sharp tip towards the girl. She didn't even blink.

"She is safe," the mysterious figure said simply. Almost immediately, Tsubaki started towards her.

"Like hell!" she snapped, "What did you do to her?!"

"… She is safe. I am not lying," responded the dark-skinned girl. After a moment's pause, as her purple eyes flicked to Tsubaki's hands, curled into fists, she continued.

"… My name is Rani IV," the hat-wearing figure introduced herself, with a slight bob of her head. "No hostilities were intended."

"… Master, it doesn't seem as if she's lying, but…" Saber seemed uncertain, her katana raised and ready to strike, in spite of her hesitation.

"… If… if she's safe, then what did you do with her?" asked Ai, hesitatingly, as Tsubaki silently fumed, seeming to barely restrain herself from attacking Rani. Ai could hardly blame her, and felt no small amount of anger herself at the sudden disappearance of the girl they had worked hard to rescue, but at the same time, Saber at least didn't seem to think she was lying…

"… She was removed from this area and transplanted to a safe location," responded Rani, expressionlessly, "It is for her safety as well as the safety of those dwelling in this city."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" snapped Tsubaki, though her voice was wavering slightly, as if she knew exactly how the smaller girl meant it.

"She is a Dead Apostle. A vampire," stated Rani, her tone without inflection or emotion, "Without careful preparations, it would be difficult for even the most skilled mage to aid in her adjustment to her new appetites. It was a decision we made for her safety."

"We? What do you mean, 'we'?" questioned Lancer, refusing to lower her cavalry lance, still pointing it directly towards the dark-skinned girl's head. After a moment, Ai realized she had definitely seen a similar uniform once before. Representatives from another organization had met with her own, for some sort of trade of artifacts. She hadn't been heavily involved, but she recalled quite clearly that one of the representatives from the other organization had been a pale, purple-haired girl with a long braided ponytail and a very similar uniform to Rani herself.

Did that mean…

"… Atlas," responded Rani, "Our presence in this city is connected to the process of the Holy Grail War. I am not your enemy."

"Then why did you kidnap Saori like that?!" cried Tsubaki, looking moments away from attempting to tackle the small girl.

"As stated, it was for her safety," responded Rani, without even a twitch at the sight of two Servants and two magi in the position to attack her at a moment's notice. "… I wish I was able to explain more clearly, but I cannot."

"Do you expect me to just accept that?!" Tsubaki almost snarled, fire burning in her eyes.

"No," began Rani, "But it is for the purpose of your safety as well. We have no intention of interfering in the Holy Grail War, nor harming its participants. The transfer of Yumimura Saori was a direct order from the director of Atlas."

Tsubaki's fists tightened.

"You say all these completely unbelievable things and it's not even a joke," she responded, her body shaking with anger, "You genuinely think we'll actually believe something like that…!"

"… I do not know what else there is that I can say," responded Rani, with a tilt of her head to the side. "I have conveyed all information I am able to. I have been truthful."

She paused for a moment.

"… I apologize for any shortcomings in my explanation."

Ai didn't know what to do. Rani seemed truthful, but at the same time, the way that Saori had been snatched away like that… It didn't seem right. Atlas as an organization was based around alchemy, that much she knew. So for what reason had they decided to take Saori with them? Had there been some plan for her, or was it really just for her own sake?

"… So why are you here in the first place, then?!" Tsubaki almost seemed to growl, glaring at the small, dark-skinned girl. "If you're from Atlas, there has to be a reason!"

"… Yes. Atlas is here for the purposes of an experiment," responded Rani, simply, "No threat is intended towards the Holy Grail War or its participants."

"What kind of experiment is that?!" snapped Tsubaki, taking another step towards Rani. Lancer swiftly moved beside her, but even the blonde knight seemed uncertain. This was no easy situation. "What kind of experiment could need Saori!?"

"Yumimura Saori was not acquired for the sake of our experiment. That was an order I received for the sake of her own safety, as stated," insisted the brown-skinned girl, her expression unchanging.

"Inoue-san…" Ai weakly reached towards the taller girl. What was she supposed to do? On one hand, she thought that everything about this was strange, but on the other hand Rani seemed to be truthful and attacking her didn't seem like it would lead to anything good. Certainly, not to the release of Yumimura Saori.

Helplessly, she looked to Saber, who seemed to be at just as much of a loss as she did.

"Then what is it!? What are you doing here?!" cried Tsubaki, hands clenched into fists so hard that Ai could see her knuckles turning white.

"… It is best to show you, in order to dispel a conflict."

Rani raised one slender arm, showing both the Masters and their Servants the back of her right hand.

There, on the dark skin, was the strange, curving pattern unmistakable as anything else but a command seal.

She was a Master?! But there were already seven Servants! How was that possible?!

"I am not your enemy. But this is crucial to Atlas's conduct," she said, simply.

"That's… a command seal… how…" Tsubaki stared, in absolute shock, at the symbol on the back of Rani's hand.

"… I cannot offer further information. But we bear no ill intent towards the participants of the war," the lavender-haired girl replied, "I hope this open display of my nature as a 'Master' for the purposes of this experiment assists in your understanding."

"How… how is that possible?!" asked Saber, "We've already seen all seven Servants, so… there's no way…"

"… It is not conventional," responded Rani, though she didn't elaborate further on what that meant. "I must depart. I apologize, once more, for the shortcomings of my explanation."

"W-wait!" Ai cried, and Tsubaki tried to run towards the small girl. But it was too late.

Rani was gone in a flickering light.

Just like that, not only had Yumimura Saori been taken from them, but a whole new element had been introduced to the Holy Grail War without warning. Rani seemed insistent that they weren't enemies, but… she had a command seal, in spite of the fact that all seven Servants had been summoned… That went against everything Ai had learned about the Holy Grail War. Even Saber and Lancer seemed baffled at what they had seen… just how was something like this possible? Something that violated the fundamental rules of the Holy Grail War?  
Tsubaki said nothing, her shoulders sagging as she looked down at her feet. Glancing towards her, Ai hesitated. What could she say…?  
Lancer spoke before she did.

"… Master… If nothing else, I am certain Saori is still alive," the blonde knight began, placing a hand on Tsubaki's shoulder. The black-haired girl didn't respond, nor did she try to pull away or reject Lancer's attempt at consoling her. She simply remained silent.

Nothing had turned out like they had wanted here. While Caster had been defeated, Yumimura Saori was gone, vanished due to the sudden intervention of someone from Atlas. And an eighth Master… it was almost too much to take in, let alone understand.

"… Let's go, Lancer," came Tsubaki's voice. Her tone was morose, none of her usual vigor in her speech.

"Master?" asked the armored girl.

"… We have a war to win, after all… we can't just stay here…"

"… Master, I understand the duty I must fulfill, however… I… I believe you must rest, Master," insisted Lancer, a frown visible on her face. Ai didn't know what to do with herself at this point, but at the very least she could tell that Tsubaki trying to do anything else tonight wasn't the best idea.

"… If I rest… who knows what else could happen, right…?" continued Tsubaki, her voice flat. "If I rest… another one of my friends could end up suffering, couldn't they?"

"I…" Lancer hesitated. It wasn't something she could say with certainty wouldn't occur. There was no way to make that kind of guarantee. So Lancer couldn't honestly say there was no way other people wouldn't get caught up in the Holy Grail War again.

"… That… may be so, but if you do not rest you are in no condition to prevent such things from occurring," Lancer responded.

Ai took a deep breath, before speaking as well.

"I… I think Lancer is right… i-if you want to make sure everyone is okay… it won't help pushing yourself…"

"It won't?!" cried Tsubaki, turning to face the others fully, "Then what will!? What I was doing before, that certainly didn't help Saori-san, did it?!"

It was the first time Ai had ever seen Tsubaki upset like this. Desperately, she wished she knew how to fix it, how to comfort her. But there were no easy answers. Someone that Tsubaki had considered to be her friend had just disappeared, possibly forever, after suffering who knows how many painful experiences, dragged into a war she had no knowledge of… There was no way to know what to do, now. But Ai knew one thing, and that was that Tsubaki wouldn't be helping anything if she fell over from exhaustion.

"I… I don't want anything like this to happen to anyone else…" Ai said, averting her eyes, "And… and I want Yumimura-san to be okay… but if you strain yourself too much…"

She could see the way in which Tsubaki was shaking. She almost seemed unsteady. Was it because of how much mana had been used by Lancer during the fight with Caster and her forces? No, she couldn't be sure of that. Ai didn't feel any additional strain, even though Saber had been fighting in the very same battle. Then again, there was no way of knowing for sure what Lancer's mana consumption was like… but still, that hardly seemed to be all.

"Clearly I… I haven't been straining myself enough!" Tsubaki turned to take a step out of the alleyway, but she seemed unsteady.

"Inoue-san, it'll be more help if you rest, this was-"

"I-I don't need to rest! I… I need to stop something like this from happening ever again!" cried the black-haired girl. Ai trembled. She hadn't seen Tsubaki so distraught before… Normally, the taller girl seemed to be much more confident and collected…

"… I… Inoue-san…"

"I need to… I need to…"

Tsubaki stopped where she stood.

"… I'm so… tired…" she said, placing her hand to her forehead, "I… I just… I wanted to make sure she'd be okay… Saori-san…"

The tanned girl swayed slightly, and then began to fall. Before Ai could react, Lancer was at Tsubaki's side, carefully catching her.

"Inoue-san!?" cried Ai, taking a step towards them. Why… she'd fainted?! Was she hurt somehow?! Had something happened?!

"She fainted?!" exclaimed Saber, stepping closer.

"… I had been worried, but she assured me that she would be fine," Lancer responded, cradling the tanned girl in her arms as she turned to face Ai and Saber. Her armor vanished, dissipating into light.

"My Master refused to sleep the previous night. She said that she couldn't, as long as she knew Yumimura Saori was in danger," she said, "Perhaps a single sleepless night would have been fine, but I was forced to use a great deal of mana during battle… she… she needs rest."

Ai lowered her hands. She hadn't even realized that Tsubaki was that tired… To Ai, she had seemed just fine up until now.

"… Will… she be okay?" Ai asked hesitatingly, eyes on the girl, who was slumped over limply in Lancer's arms.

"… I will return her to her home and allow her to rest and recover, using spirit form to lessen the burden I exert on her," responded Lancer, holding Tsubaki closer to herself, "Do not worry. I will not allow my Master to be harmed."

One of the blonde knight's hands gently ran itself through the unconscious girl's hair, as she gave a small smile.

"I cannot deny my fault in this… I should have insisted she rest before the upcoming battle," Lancer continued, with a sigh.

"… You shouldn't blame yourself for something like that, Lancer," said Saber, smiling weakly, "It was your Master's decision. You're doing the right thing by taking her to rest after she exhausted herself. If she was determined to keep herself up, she probably wouldn't have listened."

The silvery-haired girl gave a somewhat awkward laugh.

"After all, if someone tried to persuade me to stop training after I'd spent all day working hard, I'd just keep going, so I think it might be something like that," she added, doing her best to reassure her ally. "Only… that's not as serious as what happened here, is it…?"

"… I know you're going to do your best for your Master, Lancer, so… um…" Ai hesitated a little. "… So there's no reason to blame yourself like that."

It felt a little hypocritical, for a moment, telling someone else not to blame themselves when the small brunette frequently did just that. But in this case, well… Ai didn't think that Lancer was to blame, unlike the cases in which she felt she herself was at fault. More then that, however, she did feel that Tsubaki just needed to rest, to recover… if there was any chance of helping Saori left, it wouldn't be right now.

She wished she knew what to do. She wished she'd been able to somehow stop Saori from running off, that she knew what she could to try and cure Saori of her vampirism. But there was no possibility of reverting a Dead Apostle to a human, as far as she was aware, and now… now Atlas had taken her in. It was all too overwhelming.

"Whatever the case may be," Lancer began, after several moments of uncertain hesitation at the attempted reassurances from Ai and Saber, "I have to return my Master home, so that she may rest. Goodbye."

With that, Lancer quickly began to depart from the alleyway, carrying Tsubaki with her. Soon enough, the only ones remaining were Saber and Ai herself.

"… So much happened so quickly…" Ai said, taking a deep breath. She couldn't help but feel guilty over what had occurred, even if she was trying to be hopeful about Yumimura Saori's fate. After all, Rani had been insistent that it was for the vampire's safety, rather then any intention to kill her. But at the same time, everything felt wrong.

"I didn't even know there could be an eighth Master… how could the Grail choose another person when there was already seven?" she continued, her shoulders sagging. And what had happened to Saori… it all felt so heavy, weighing down on her. Ai couldn't imagine how it must have felt for Tsubaki, who had known Saori and been close to her. No wonder she had been so upset…

"I don't know… when I was summoned for the Holy Grail War, the knowledge I was given only indicated that there would be seven Servants," responded Saber, her silver-gold eyes glancing down the alleyway in the direction Lancer had gone with Tsubaki. "I never expected anything like this could happen… I can only hope that Yumimura-san hasn't been harmed, and that girl was telling the truth…"  
Saber's shoulders sagged. It almost seemed like there was something more that she wanted to say, but she was hesitating.

"… Is something wrong, Saber? … A-aside from the obvious, I guess… eh-heh…" Ai's awkward laugh was rather hollow. There was no real hope of any levity, at the moment.

"I… it's…" the girl samurai was clearly not entirely willing to speak, though Ai had no idea why that would be the case. Had something else happened…?

"… Caster… Caster was… caring for Yumimura-san," Saber finally said, after a few moments of uneasy silence. "It… she wasn't a prisoner, forced to serve as Skuld's Master, or anything like that… Caster was protecting her, Master."

For a few moments, Ai wasn't certain what to say. Caster was protecting Saori? But she had turned her into a vampire, hadn't she? Why would she have done that? Nothing that Saber had just said made any sense to the small brunette.

"But… if she was protecting her… why would she have turned Yumimura-san into a Dead Apostle?" she asked, finally.

"Yumimura-san said that it was to save her life," replied Saber, morosely, "If I had to guess… Maybe Caster's original Master tried to kill Yumimura-san?"

Given how Natsuki Yukihiro had behaved, and when Yumimura Saori disappeared, that would have made sense. Did he try and use Yumimura to summon his Servant, just as other Masters used chicken's blood or another such medium to do so? Whatever the case was, it was an awful thing to contemplate.

"… If that's the case… did…"

Ai hesitated.

"Did… Caster kill her original Master?" she asked, finally. Deep down, it was what she'd suspected ever since she had heard that Caster had a new Master. Especially given that no-one else had reported killing Natsuki Yukihiro. She didn't feel bad about the death of someone who was willing to slaughter the entire population of Minami, but at the same time…

"I think that's most likely what happened," replied Saber, "Then she somehow managed to transfer the command seals to Yumimura-san. I don't know how something like that would work, I guess… I don't know much about magecraft. But I don't think there's any other explanation."

It was strange. Certainly, Caster had been their enemy. And no matter what, they would have had to kill her to claim victory in the Holy Grail War. But… knowing now that she had been trying to help Saori, to protect her, that she had transformed the girl into a Dead Apostle in order to save her life… it didn't feel like a proper victory. She didn't know what it felt like. She'd never exactly felt anything like this before.

"… Are you sure…?" asked the short girl, dully.

"… I guess I can't be certain, when I didn't see what happened, but… it's how it seems to be, as far as I know, Master," responded her Servant, "… I might be a manslayer, but seeing Caster die after learning about that… if we'd been fighting, it would have been different, but…"

They hadn't been fighting when Caster died?

"Then… who killed Caster?" asked Ai.

"Assassin," replied Saber, quickly, eyes narrowing, "She tried to kill Yumimura-san as well. Killing Caster in battle would have been different, but seeing her slain like that was… it didn't feel like a victory, Master."

It was the same way Ai felt. Nothing about this felt triumphant.

"… The only thing I can feel good about after this is slaying the Quilled Boar, eh-heh," said her Servant, suddenly. Her tone was a little lighter, as if she was trying her best to lighten the mood, uncertain of what else she could do to try and help. "I'd never killed a monster before, after all."

"So… you were the one who killed it?" Ai asked. She remembered seeing the huge beast go down, but it had been too distant to tell just what had happened. At this point, talking about anything else was the only thing that Ai could think of doing, as they began to leave the alleyway.

"Not alone, but I managed to deliver the final blow," responded the girl samurai, "Though… Master, I used one of my Noble Phantasms slay the beast."

Ai knew what that meant almost immediately, her heart sinking. Any Servants in earshot would now have, at the very least, a strong clue to her Servant's identity.

"But… don't worry!" continued the silvery-haired girl her voice suddenly more upbeat, once more, "We might be up against some tough opponents, and things might not have gone great today, but I've got no doubt that we can win, no matter what!"

Once again, Ai found herself wishing she could share in her Servant's optimism. Knowing that Saber had killed the Quilled Boar was something, but at the same time… aah… today… everything had been overwhelming. She wanted to help Yumimura Saori, but didn't know where she was. She wanted to help Tsubaki, but didn't know how. And she wanted to make sure Saber would be okay, that she could claim victory… but she couldn't be sure of anything, especially given the appearance of an eighth Master.

"… I… I hope so, Saber…"

Ai lead the way home… before she could even think about doing anything else, maybe it was best to rest.  
But there was one more question she wanted to ask.

"… Saber… you're… still alright with fighting in this war… and everything like that… after what happened today?" Ai questioned, glancing towards her Servant.

"Ah…"

For a few moments, Saber was silent, as if thinking it over.

"… Even if things went this way, today… It's not as if I have any regrets," the platinum blonde girl responded, finally, doing her best to give Ai a confident smile, "I want to try and help Yumimura-san, and I wish, at least, Caster could have died in battle, knowing now what her true intentions were. But a manslayer like me… I'm glad I can do my duty and serve you, Master. Especially when something like this happens."

Hearing that, if nothing else, let Ai know how her Servant really felt.

"… I'm glad to hear it, Saber."

~

Rani regarded the girl in silence.

From what she had been told, Yumimura Saori had been distraught and confused. She had been rendered unconscious temporarily until there was a chance to allow her to adjust to her new situation and truly explain to her what was going on and where she had been taken. There was a pane of thick glass between herself and the vampire, and she was currently lying on a cushioned platform, alone. Blood would be provided to her upon her awakening, both for her own wellbeing and to reduce the chance of an attack.

The dark-skinned girl glanced from the unconscious Dead Apostle to the back of her right hand. There was the command seal. It had only manifested a day ago, as a result of Atlas's interference with the local leylines. It was… strange, to know what she was being deployed here for, but she fully understood her mission and would not dream of questioning it. This was for the purpose of furthering the knowledge she had been created to discover and catalogue, after all. For Atlas, gathering new information on every possible scenario was of the utmost importance, and this situation was no exception.

Rani's purple eyes drifted back to the girl. The order to secure her and keep her safe had come directly from the director of Atlas herself. The lavender-haired girl didn't understand what was intended for the Dead Apostle, at least, not beyond what she had been told. Naturally, analysis indicated that attempting to keep her away from the unaware people of the town was the best for her own safety as well as the safety of the townsfolk. But beyond that, Rani was unable to discern if the director had any further motivation. But it was not her place to question such things. She didn't exist to do so.

As of now, the operational period, the time in which she had spent alive, was reaching one of its most critical phases. It was not necessarily the explicit purpose Rani had been created for. Rather, it was a role that Atlas had concluded she would serve well in.  
Once the organization as a whole began to dedicate resources towards the experiment itself, an analysis of various Atlas homunculi had been conducted. Eventually, her nature as the one most suited to serving in the experiment had been determined. As a result, she was transported to Minami immediately. Her duty was an important one, after all.

However, Rani had received orders to collect the vampire quite suddenly, not long before the experiment was intended to begin.

Quietly, she raised her hand, and placed it against the glass, her expression unchanging. Prior to this, her deployments had been for the purposes of Atlas, exclusively for obtaining knowledge, or for removing potential hazards. It was a cause ingrained into her very existence. The rescue of the Dead Apostle Yumimura Saori, rescue being one of the ways the director had referred to it, was something entirely different from her previous missions, and indeed her current assignment.

It wasn't any sort of rebellion given it was ordered from the top. Beyond one specific matter, Rani was dedicated to any and all orders she received, no matter how minor they could be. But it was an almost foreign experience to her, even when ordered by another, to do something that had little to nothing to do with her actual mission. Rani was hardly one to express any sort of feelings. She hadn't been created with such a thing in mind. And yet, there was an odd sensation in the core of her being as she looked upon the unconscious Dead Apostle.

Was it pride, that she had managed to successfully extract a vampire from a situation that was dangerous both to herself and to the people of the town? Or was it something else? It wasn't a feeling the small girl was entirely familiar with, and as a result it left her feeling somewhat uncertain. Slowly, Rani began to turn away from the window into the room that Yumimura Saori was being held in, facing away from her. It would be some time before she awakened, and there were other duties for her to attend to.

Ignoring her duties would be an unacceptable rebellion, and there was only one form of rebellion that the small dark-skinned girl could accept from herself. However, as she began to make her way down the hall, she was stopped by a tall man with fair skin and blonde hair. He was another one of many faces that had been dispatched to this location in order to carry out the experiment.

"Ah, Rani IV," he began, turning to face her, "As I'm certain you are aware, we're about to begin the first experiment."

… Ah? Had she lost track of the time? For a few moments, Rani was silent.

"… Understood," she responded, finally. It wasn't like her to lose track of what was going on. Just how long had it been since she had been dispatched to retrieve the Dead Apostle? The first experiment wasn't scheduled to occur for quite some time, as she recalled.

"You are required in the summoning chamber."

Rani nodded, turning and heading further down the hallway. It was only natural that a homunculus would be the individual requested to fulfill this role in the experiment. It was a perfectly logical thought process, and a conclusion Rani found to be the correct one. However, she was uncertain about the outcome. Would it be successful?

There was, in the end, only one way to be certain.

The door opened before her. As she entered, she noted that the preparations for the summoning had already been fully completed. Rani nodded to herself, silently. This was what she had been told to expect. While she had participated in the connection they had made to the Minami Holy Grail, the preparation of the ritual had been completed before she arrived.

In the center of the summoning circle, there sat a simple object.

A fragment of Grecian pottery. At least, this is what it seemed to be. It was positively ancient, retrieved from a digsite in Southern Greece several years prior. It had taken some time to affirm its nature and guarantee that it was exactly what they had been looking for.

Rani raised her right hand.

It was time.


	10. Chapter 10

The house was silent.

Shimada Yukiko sat quietly. Her previous meeting with the other Masters had gone… somewhat as she had expected. Aside from, perhaps, the appearance of the Einzbern homunculus and her near death at the hands of… well, she wasn't certain which Master had attacked her. Even the taller of the two girls who had objected to the possibility of killing another Master was a possibility, though the shorter wasn't a suspect. Well, most likely, at least, given she had foolishly rescued the Einzbern homunculus from death.

It wasn't as if Yukiko would have exalted at the death of someone who appeared to be so young, but it would have removed an incredibly dangerous enemy from the war.

In fact, the matter of Berserker was what she wished to discuss with her Servant, at the moment.

Shimada Yukiko lived in a very old home, a Japanese mansion in the oldest part of Minami, surrounded by bamboo. It was a household that had been in her family ever since they had arrived in this land, before the town even had a proper name. Before the creatures that were apart from humanity had become overlooked and forgotten by them.

She glanced towards Assassin, whose white mask obscured her features for the moment. If Yukiko was being honest, it had not been her intent to summon someone filling the class of Assassin. She had intended for a much stronger Servant to answer her summons, exploiting both her bloodline and the catalyst she had obtained in order to call her ideal Servant. Someone who would be boosted to an incredible extent by being summoned in their homeland of Japan, an incredibly strong Archer would could undeniably be a potential victor of the Holy Grail War.

Instead, she had summoned the Assassin-class Servant who had served her ideal Archer in life. Disappointment didn't even begin to cover her initial reaction.

However…

"Assassin, now that we've seen Berserker, what do you think can be done about him?" she asked. After a moment, Assassin removed her mask, exposing her face. One thing that Yukiko could not deny about her Servant was how beautiful she was. Even if those who recorded history had failed to properly note Mori Ranmaru's gender, they had certainly been accurate when discussing her looks.

"I suspect it will be incredibly difficult to infiltrate his Master's base of operations, to begin with," Assassin replied. "Additionally, my capabilities will not suffice for challenging Berserker in open combat. While I certainly would be able to outmaneuver him, a single blow would likely end my role in this war. To die as such would be a waste."

Assassin may not have been the Servant she desired, but there was no denying that Mori Ranmaru was an incredibly loyal Servant. All she had needed was to learn that Yukiko's bloodline was connected to that of Oda Nobunaga, and she had vowed to serve as best as she was able. When it came to an Assassin-class Servant, this was the best she could hope for. Granted, she wished that her Servant had not given up her true name in that battle with Saber, but as true identities went, well… what did knowing who Assassin was really give to her enemies? It didn't prevent Assassin from utilizing her skills, nor did it expose any special weakness. As long as her Servant could still operate in secrecy, she still felt some level of confidence.

Too much confidence, however, was foolish.

"I agree," Yukiko said, with a nod, "Battling Berserker would be stupid, to say the least. Do you have any suggestions for how to avoid a fight with him?"

Assassin nodded, immediately.

"To begin with, I feel the secret to defeating Berserker is simply not to directly battle him or his Master at all," the purple-eyed girl responded, brushing aside her hair with one hand as she spoke, "They are a massive target. There simply isn't any way that Berserker will not be a target for another of the Servants more suited to direct combat."

Yukiko nodded. This was solid logic, what she expected of her Assassin. However…

"Do you think that's enough? What if Berserker successfully defeats all the other opponents?" Yukiko asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Of course, Berserker is powerful enough that this is not an impossibility," said the black-haired Servant, with a nod, "However, I believe that Saber, Rider, and Lancer are all quite capable of putting up a struggle against him. Especially in Rider's case. Her chariot is incredibly dangerous."

Assassin paused for a moment.

This was true as well. Rider's chariot made her an incredibly difficult target, and her Master was a cautious person who avoided direct conflict. For all Rider paraded about without even attempting to conceal her identity, Yukiko was well aware that Assassin simply had no real chance against Queen Medb. It was to be expected. Typically, Assassin's purpose was to target enemy Masters, rather than Servants.

But that involved knowing how and when to target them.

"As a result, I believe that, even if Berserker is our final opponent, he will be weakened by that point in the Holy Grail War," continued Ranmaru, bobbing her head as she spoke, "Therefore, it will allow me to have a greater opportunity to assassinate his Master. It is an act I take no joy in, given her looks, and the way in which she behaves, but it is a duty I wholeheartedly accept."

"Excellent," Yukiko replied. There was no such thing as a guarantee, but that response from Assassin indeed filled her with confidence. It was quite a reasonable strategy for countering Berserker, as well.

But that wasn't the only thing the kimono-clad girl wished to discuss with her Servant. Smiling, she rested her head on one hand.

"Assassin… I want you to kneel for me," she said.

"Temporary Lord?" Assassin questioned, confused, though she knelt before her Master without hesitation.

"You killed Caster. I know this isn't the same as being praised by your Oda Nobunaga-sama herself, but…"

Yukiko reached out with one of her graceful, pale hands, and placed it upon Assassin's head. Wordlessly, she patted her Servant's hair.

"T… Temporary Lord…?" asked Assassin, eyes widening and cheeks slightly coloring with embarrassment as Yukiko stroked her silky, black hair.

"I am certain this is no substitute for the treatment my ancestor gave to you," began Yukiko, with a small smile, "But I should hope that it gives you some sort of gratification for your success."

"… Oda-sama was a shining existence standing above all else…" replied Ranmaru, blushing slightly as she averted her eyes. "… How… however, as you share her blood, I… it would… it would be a lie if I said I disliked this…"

After a moment's pause, Assassin quickly decided she needed to explain further.

"That is not to say you are comparable to Oda-sama, but that I can accept this treatment as something rewarding!" she asserted.

"I understand, Assassin. But the point is that it makes you happy, isn't it?" Yukiko responded, her smile broadening.

For several moments, Assassin was silent, as if she was attempting to discern just how she should respond to something like that.

"… My Lord's affection… can be felt through you, in a way, temporary Lord," Ranmaru finally replied, taking a deep breath after speaking. The depths of Ranmaru's devotion to Oda Nobunaga were unshakeable. To be honest, Yukiko doubted that Assassin would have allowed her to even touch her if not for her blood relation to the warlord, and indeed, her physical resemblance to her. It had been something of a shock to learn that Nobunaga was female, but it was rather satisfying knowledge at the same time. The fact that there was physical resemblance was a bit more surprising. Even if they were related by blood, Yukiko had always assumed it was more distant.

Of course, given she had assumed Oda Nobunaga was a man, perhaps she shouldn't have been so surprised at the news that they looked somewhat alike.

"Is that so?" she asked, "Well, I'm pleased to hear it."

She took her hand off of Assassin's head, and at her word the Servant stood up straight once more. Berserker was not the only obstacle in their way, of course. Saber had already proven herself to be a dangerous opponent. Assassin was perfectly accepting of the idea of dying in combat, but throwing her life away without reason was completely pointless. As a result, trying to fight with Saber in direct battle again was something only an idiot would do.

Lancer, too, was a poor idea to target. While she felt their Masters were fools, the two knights were formidable and excellent at protecting the ones who had summoned them. That made them difficult to counter with Assassin. However, that was where Yukiko could apply the strategy that Assassin proposed for Berserker to the others, as well. Allowing them to be engaged or weakened in intense battle meant that they became easier targets, or were less able to defend their Masters. The same held true for Rider, who Yukiko frankly considered to be the most dangerous Servant in the war due to the power and maneuverability of her chariot.

"What do you believe would be the best course of action in the following days, Assassin?" asked Yukiko, inclining her head slightly to the left as she spoke.

"I believe it would be for the best to begin by observing the remaining enemy Servants and watching for conflict," responded the purple-eyed girl, swiftly, "This is what will grant us the best opportunity to remove an enemy from the war."

This was exactly what Yukiko expected from Assassin. No matter how much she wished that she had been able to summon Archer, the fact was that she seemed to operate on quite a similar wavelength to Mori Ranmaru. In this way, was she similar to Oda Nobunaga herself?

Ah, but there was another matter she wished to discuss. Something quite important.

"You mentioned that you caught sight of Saber using her Noble Phantasm?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes, of course," Assassin swiftly replied, bobbing her head, "It was the finishing blow she used to slay the Quilled Boar. There's no longer any question of her identity."

Perfect. Even if it didn't allow them to find a weakness, it at least let them know what her capabilities most likely were.

"Who is she?" asked the kimono-clad young woman.

"The technique she utilized was unquestionably the Mumyou Sandanzuki," answered Assassin, a very slight smile on her lips as she spoke, "The simultaneous three thrusts that shatter reality at the tip of the sword. The only person to ever utilize that technique was the star swordsman of the Shinsengumi, Okita Souji."

So that was her nature. The Saber-class Servant of this Holy Grail War was Okita Souji. It explained a great deal, from her swiftness to the techniques she used with her sword. The famous swordsman who tragically died from tuberculosis, then… more than being surprised that Okita Souji was a woman, Yukiko was more concerned with what this fact told them. It was unlikely that Saber possessed any powerful ranged Noble Phantasms. Her sword was dangerous because of her skill alone, rather then any inherent supernatural properties. Additionally, due to her 'young' age, her parameters were likely quite low for her class.

For a moment, Yukiko couldn't help but question why someone would summon a Servant like that as Saber. But she realized, moments later, that it was for the very reason Oda Nobunaga would have been so incredibly powerful if summoned in Japan. It wasn't that their parameters would all be ranked up, or anything so straightforward. But being summoned in their homeland, where a Servant was most famous… it would give them a bonus.

It could be an additional Noble Phantasm, or loosened restrictions on a skill. Perhaps one of their Noble Phantasms would gain more functions, or something of a similar nature. This had to be the very reason that Okita Souji had been summoned as Saber. While she may have been weak, for a Saber-class Servant, the fact was that the Shinsengumi, and Okita Souji especially, were well-known names to the Japanese. Undeniably she would receive some sort of additional capabilities.

"… Excellent, Assassin," said Yukiko.

"Now we can begin."

* * *

Ai had awakened late that morning. Not that it mattered particularly much, after the entire student body and faculty passed out the local High School was closed for an unannounced period of time. The most recent news that she had heard about it was that they suspected some sort of gas leak, but there was damage in one of the hallways too. That must have been where she summoned Saber to her side… On one hand, this allowed her to focus on the Holy Grail War rather then anything else. On the other, going to school had begun to feel like something of a refuge where she knew there wasn't going to be a fight.

Breakfast was excellent, as usual. There was no way that Marianne would ever prepare a breakfast that wasn't nearly perfect, and for now it seemed as if it kept Saber's mind off of the events of the previous night. The same couldn't be said for Ai herself. She was concerned about Inoue Tsubaki. She'd been so tired that she'd just up and passed out like that… And Ai still couldn't really figure out how to help her. She couldn't figure out how to help Yumimura Saori, either…

After breakfast, Ai felt like she had to do… something. She didn't know what. During the day it wasn't as if the Grail War was going to be waged out in the open, and she didn't know if she should try and approach Saori yet. The small brunette also wasn't certain what she could try and discuss with Saber… but doing anything other than focusing on the Holy Grail War seemed wrong, after what had happened the previous night. Even so, as the girl tried to decide on what sort of strategy to discuss with her Servant, she fumbled, fidgeting awkwardly where she stood.

Saber notice how she was behaving rather quickly.

"Is something wrong, Master?" the silvery-haired samurai asked, cocking her head slightly to one side as she spoke, "If it's about last night…"

"N-nothing's wrong, e-er, I'm fine…" half-mumbled the diminutive brunette, shifting awkwardly as she responded. "U-um, it's just… it's… I guess… I don't really know what to do today…"

"… Ah… well… it's not as if resting wouldn't be a good idea," replied Saber, "You don't seem like you used too much mana, but if you're not sure what else to do… it's not like I was one to rest too much, but that doesn't mean you can't!"

Ai shook her head. If there was one thing she supposed she could compliment about herself, it seemed as if she really did have a large supply of mana. That, combined with the fact that it didn't seem like Saber needed to use much mana in order to use her abilities, meant that the load on her was… well, it was still the load of supporting a Servant, but all in all it wasn't as heavy as she might have thought it would have been prior to summoning Saber. Whether this was because of Saber's low mana consumption, her high mana reserves, or some combination of both, she didn't know.

But that was beside the point. She couldn't possibly feel comfortable simply sitting around and resting after what had happened.

"No, that's… I don't want to just spend this whole d-day sitting around, Saber, I…" Ai hesitated for a few moments, shifting from one foot to the other as she did, "It's… I want to do something. I want to try and bring the Grail War towards its end before anyone else like Yumimura Saori gets caught up in it."

"Ah…"

For a moment, Saber simply nodded, before she decided to speak.

"If that's the case… we could discuss our strategy for approaching the rest of the war," she proposed, "… I don't want to see anyone end up like Yumimura Saori, either. But… right now, I think she might be alright. I don't think that the girl from Atlas was lying."

She gave her Master a weak smile.

"It's not like I'm happy about it, but at least she's probably okay."

"I… I know…" responded Ai, fidgeting somewhat, "But… even so, I… er… what… what do you think we should do next, Saber?"

The silvery-haired Samurai looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well… I'd say that the next most important enemy for us is Rider, if I'm being honest," said Saber, as she mulled over just what she felt was the best possible course of action, "It's not just her chariot. I'm sure you saw the flash of light, didn't you?"

Ai nodded. Of course she had. There was no way she could miss that brilliant rainbow light. There was no way it could be mistaken as anything other then a powerful Noble Phantasm being unleashed.

"That was another one of Rider's Noble Phantasms, the rainbow sword Caladbolg," continued Saber, "I've seen a lot of sword techniques, but I never saw anything like that in life. It was all… woosh!"

The mood was temporarily broken when Saber waved her hands illustratively.

"I… it was… woosh?" Ai asked, blinking. Every once in a while Saber would say things like that… and in spite of how she was feeling right now… "Th… that was kind of cute, Saber."

"Eh? Ehhhh?" the Servant's silvery-gold eyes widened, "I… what did I say that was cute?"

"… A lot of things… b-but, um…" the news that Queen Medb also had access to the sword wielded by Fergus Mach Roich, that could destroy mountains, was startling to say the least. It was another of the mystical items that Ai had researched leading up to the Holy Grail War, but she had never considered the fact that she could be facing it wielded by an enemy, "She… really had s-something like that…"

"Don't worry, Master!" declared Saber, confidently, placing her hands on her hips, "Even if she has something like that, there's no way I wouldn't be able to defeat her in battle if I can get her into direct combat!"

Ai at least felt confident in her Servant's abilities, and this was something had to agree with. Medb, no matter how much of a warrior queen she was, was likely unable to match up with someone who skill was focused on direct combat, such as Saber or Lancer. Queen Medb, as Ai recalled from her research, was the type of person who could fight, but was most suited to leading her forces rather then performing one on one battles. With that in mind, on foot, she felt quite certain that Saber would win. That being said… that involved forcing Rider to dismount.

"I agree… I think you can win on foot, but…" Ai hesitated a little bit. Rider's chariot was one of at least two Noble Phantasms she possessed. She had nearly utilized its full power, whatever it is that was, during their first clash with her. Her beautiful Saber was skilled, but how could she make Rider get on foot and engage her in single combat? Rider was undoubtedly one of the strongest Servants in the war, and while that didn't seem like it would let her win the day when it came to a one-on-one duel it meant it would be nearly impossible to force her off of her chariot. "Um, how can you force her to dismount from her chariot?"

"… That part's a lot harder, eh-heh…" admitted the samurai with silvery-gold eyes, scratching the back of her head awkwardly, "But I think Lancer can help with that. She used one of her Noble Phantasms to stun the Quilled Boar. The Trap of Argalia."

The Trap of Argalia?

"I remember reading about that when I was doing research before the war…" began Ai, trailing off. She'd done some research on all kinds of history and mythology, and both French and Italian writings featured a fair amount of information of information on the Paladins of Charlemagne. Among them was the most beautiful of the Paladins, Astolfo, a man who, among other things, wielded a certain lance… "That's the weapon that could knock anyone off their horse. And it was wielded by Astolfo…"

"That's right. I was wondering if Lancer could be Astolfo," responded Saber, "But I can't be sure… Aside from that, though, I think that Lancer could disable Rider's chariot!"

If Lancer could hit one of the bulls with the Trap of Argalia, that would almost certainly bring the chariot to a dead stop, wouldn't it? From there, Saber could attack Queen Medb and force her off of it and on-foot, meaning she'd have no choice but to try and fight in one-on-one combat, where Saber could win… of course, Ai rarely had very much confidence in any plans she herself was involved in, but she knew Saber was incredibly skilled, and so was Lancer… and she had faith in Tsubaki, as well.

"I… u-um, that could work, I think!" declared Ai, relaxing somewhat. Knowing there was a possible path to victory against Rider… it was reassuring, given just how powerful Queen Medb truly was. "After everything that's happened recently, it's good to hear something like that, eh-heheheh…"

Ai trailed off. Saber was so skilled, and had managed to reassure her a little… she was so pretty, too… ah… no, it wasn't good to go thinking about things like that again. It would just be strange, after all…

"Then I'll count this as a great victory!" declared Saber, brightly, "After everything that's happened, I'm glad a manslayer like me can still pick up my Master's mood!"

… Even though things like that made it hard for Ai to hold back… But the more her heartbeat quickened, the harder it became for her to speak. She knew that Saber would just find her strange if she said something direct… and the idea of saying something direct scared her to no end.

"U-um… um… y-you're not just a manslayer th-though!" the small brunette nearly shouted, immediately blushing with embarrassment at her outburst, "U-um… y-you're… you're my Servant a-and all… s-so…"

"… Ah, well…" for a few moments, Saber didn't say anything else, and Ai worried she'd said something strange. "It's nice to hear something like that, but the reason that I'm a Servant is because I was a manslayer. It's not like I have any regrets about that, Master. But I trained to kill men, and that's just what I did."

"I… b-but that doesn't mean it's all you are," Ai found herself saying, in spite of just how embarrassed she was. Saber had done a lot for her since she was summoned, and she was so pretty and… and… "Y-you… you're so skilled, and, um… you clearly… y-you're really loyal and you care um… and you… y-you're so pretty and cute and all, um… s-so… so you… you…"

The small brunette started to realize what she was saying. She caught sight of her Servant blushing faintly before she quickly averted her eyes, staring directly down at the floor. She'd made a total fool of herself, and said some weird things, and… and it just sounded really stupid, didn't it? This wasn't the time to try talking about such things, anyway…

"I… er… eh-heh… I… I don't know what to do when I hear you say things like that…" came Saber's voice, though Ai couldn't see her expression with the way she'd averted her eyes, "I'm glad you think I'm skilled… because I am!"

There was a moment of resounding pride echoing through the girl samurai's words, and Ai slowly looked up towards the taller girl.

"But all that stuff about being pretty and cute and things like that…" continued Saber, "I… don't know what to say about things like that…"

Saber gave Ai an awkward smile, and the short magus could see the redness in the swordswoman's cheeks.

"I… it's… it's just… h-how… how I feel, Saber…" Ai managed to blurt out, trailing off just as quickly as she'd managed to speak.

"… I guess I just don't know how to feel, eh-heh…" Saber replied, shifting uncertainly as she spoke. "I'm not really used to getting those sorts of compliments, I guess…"

Ah… she'd made Saber embarrassed, hadn't she…? And that… that was pretty cute! But she hadn't wanted to make her Servant get all flustered, no matter how cute it was. It still wasn't really right to make her feel that way, was it? It wasn't her intent… ah, she'd screwed it up, hadn't she? She had to have…

"S-sorry, um… I… er…" Ai fidgeted as she tried to apologize. She'd made a big mess, like she always did. That was just how it went when it came to her. Rarely did anything she was trying to do go right. Why had she ever thought she would be able to properly convey her feelings?

"You don't need to apologize!" interjected Saber, suddenly, waving her hands. She didn't? But why didn't she? She'd embarrassed Saber with the awkward compliments, hadn't she? That was enough reason to apologize. It was just another of the many things Ai had found herself screwing up with. Who knew what else she would mess up, really…

"I didn't know how to feel, but that doesn't mean it was wrong of you to say, or anything like that!" continued the silvery-haired girl, doing her best to calm her Master down, "It's just… I don't think anyone ever complimented my looks like that in life… I'm not really used to it, eh-heheh… but… um… thanks!"

She paused for a moment.

"… I don't really know what I'm doing, but… um… you're not just a really good Master who can supply a lot of mana, you're… you're cute, too!" declared Saber, finally.

Ai felt heat blazing in her cheeks, her golden eyes widening. Saber called her cute… Saber really, actually called her cute. Why had Saber called her cute? She wasn't lying, was she? It didn't seem like she was. That meant… she was telling the truth? But why? Did Saber really think she was cute? Was this the time to be talking about things like this? Was it okay to talk about things like this? She didn't even know what to say after hearing those words come out of her Servant's mouth.

"You keep saying things like that, so… it's only fair, right?" asked Saber, uncertainty still in her voice, "And, er… you do look pretty cute, so it's not like it's untrue or anything…"

Awkwardly, the girl samurai scratched the back of her head with a weak laugh.

"I don't really know much about giving out this kind of talk, though," continued Saber, shifting a bit where she stood. It was obvious that she wasn't feeling too certain about this course of conversation either. "I'm more used to complimenting people on how they fight! Like… 'the way you cut through that tatami was perfect!' or 'there's no way someone could shrug that off!' and that kind of thing! But since you keep saying that stuff I thought I'd do my best, eh-heh…"

For a few moments, all that Ai could do was mumble weakly to herself. Her Servant really, genuinely called her cute… Maybe she could… maybe she could try and tell her…

The small brunette shook her head. No… now wasn't the time for something like that, as it? They had to plan, and they had to help Tsubaki. They had to make sure that no-one else ended up like poor Yumimura Saori. There was no time for her to be foolish and try and tell Saber about things that she would doubtlessly screw up. They had to focus on the war, not on anything that wasn't important to their victory like that.

… Are you alright, Master…?" asked Saber, to which Ai hastily nodded, as fast as she could. She didn't need to talk about anything silly, the only thing that was important was what would let them claim victory in the Holy Grail War.

"U-um, I was… I was being silly, Saber…" said Ai, averting her eyes, "It's not that important, um… j-just… w-we should focus on the war… we should help Inoue-san too…"

"I don't know, but… well… in any case, it's not like I don't think we should focus on our plans for the Holy Grail War," responded Saber, still blushing somewhat faintly. "And I want to help Inoue-san, and Lancer… I definitely want to have that rematch, too."

Saber nodded firmly to herself. It was a reminder, that while they might be allies right now they would eventually have to fight Lancer. All that Ai could hope for was that it was a duel on good terms, like her Servant wanted. Certainly, she felt sure that's what Lancer wanted as well, but there was the matter of ensuring that they have such a duel at all. That they were the last two Servants remaining in the Holy Grail War. It was a bitter thought, in a way, that it was how she had to hope the War would end… but she knew it was something that both Saber and Lancer knew, and certainly Tsubaki knew as well.

The Grail War was a battle in which only one pair, one Master and one Servant, could remain standing in the end.

"… So… so what do you think we should do about the eighth Master?" began the small brunette, taking a deep breath, cheeks still hot, as she spoke, "Rani-san said she wasn't going to fight, but I don't understand how she could summon another Servant… there were seven already."

Saber sighed heavily.

"It doesn't make any sense to me either… it's like she's breaking the rules of the Holy Grail War! That kind of thing would definitely get her disqualified from a tournament," Saber declared with certainty, nodding firmly as she did. "It's not how the Holy Grail War is supposed to work. Summoning more then seven Servants isn't supposed to be possible! But… I don't know much about magecraft, so maybe there's some way…"

Saber folded her arms.

"She said she wasn't going to become an enemy to any of the participants of the war," added the swordswoman, "But it's still strange…"

It really worried Ai. Not that she felt like Rani was lying, but more that she didn't know how such a thing could occur. Did this mean more additional Servants could be summoned? What was the experiment that Atlas was conducting, exactly? At least she could feel fairly certain that Yumimura Saori wasn't going to be somehow involved in the experiment, but aside from that there wasn't really anything that she could be sure about, when it came to Atlas and the eighth Servant. Just who were they planning on summoning, anyway? Nothing that Rani had said really gave anything away.

"It is… I don't understand how it's supposed to work…" responded Ai, her shoulders sagging. It was just too confusing… Yet another element to the Holy Grail War that they had to be aware of. As if there wasn't already enough danger involved in the situation. For now, however, Ai was beginning to come to the conclusion that the best course of action for today would be to check and see how Tsubaki was doing. After all, it was difficult to do anything else involving the War during the day, but she had to do something… Even if it was simply making sure her ally was doing alright.

"I don't know if there's anything we can do about it right now, though…" continued the small brunette, trying not to think too much about the attempt she'd just made at telling Saber anything about her feelings, "Not when we have no idea where Atlas is working from. If we did, we could try and find Yumimura-san…"

Saber nodded.

"I wish there was some way to find out," responded the swordswoman, folding her arms across her chest once more as she spoke, "But I don't know where we could even begin."

There was nothing else that they could do right now, when it came to Yumimura Saori.

"… I suppose… right now, er… maybe we should just… see how Inoue-san is doing…" said Ai, finally, the small brunette's shoulders sagging a little. She really, desperately hoped that the other girl was doing well, after everything that happened recently. Seeing her pass out from exhaustion like that, if Ai was going to be honest… it had been pretty scary. Not as frightening as finding herself in the middle of a deadly battle between Servants, but still… it wasn't nice seeing that happen to someone whom she now considered to be a friend.

"I think that's a good idea!" declared Saber, "If she's still asleep, Lancer could probably do with some company too!"

The silvery-haired girl smiled brightly, but her expression suddenly became serious.

"Not only that," continued Saber, "But she's vulnerable right now, so we could help keep her safe as well."

It was true. If Tsubaki was so tired that she had to spend most of the day resting, and Lancer was trying to avoid consuming very much energy, that left the both of them in a very vulnerable place. That meant that even if Lancer was in her physical form, she would be trying to avoid operating at full power.

And so, bidding farewell to the maids, Saber dressing herself in a blue shirt with black shorts and thigh-highs, the Master and Servant pair departed from the Matsushita mansion. It was a somewhat overcast day, though it didn't look like it was going to rain. At least, Ai hoped it wouldn't. As she headed down the street, however, something occurred to her.

It occurred to Saber, as well.

"… Master, we've never actually been to Inoue-san's house, have we?" she asked, "I have no idea where it is, either…"

"Ah…" Ai trailed off, realizing that she genuinely had no idea where it was the tanned girl lived. They'd never met there, always at a restaurant or just about anywhere else. They'd never gone back to her home after meeting, either.

"… That's… that's true, isn't it… eh-heheh…" the short brunette chuckled awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other. "I guess… um… well… maybe… we can find it? Somehow… er…"

Ah… this was embarrassing, wasn't it? Ai felt completely foolish, having set out to try and check on Tsubaki only to realize she had absolutely no clue where Tsubaki was. Maybe, hopefully, that meant that none of the other Masters knew, either.

It was at that moment that something completely unexpected happened.

Ahead of Ai and Saber was a wider intersection, where multiple paths could be taken. For the moment, Ai was trying to figure out what direction she was supposed to go in. She guessed that Tsubaki's house was further away from them, at least, given the direction that they had always headed in to meet her. She wasn't really paying that much attention, but Saber certainly was.

It was Saber who noticed first.

"Master!" she shouted, suddenly stepping in front of the small brunette. For a moment, Ai was confused. She didn't understand why Saber had so urgently moved to shield her, until she peered around her Servant and caught sight of just who had stepped from around the corner.

There stood the smiling form of Alysvial von Einzbern.

"A… Alysvial von Einzbern…"

The little girl's smile grew wider, and she cocked her head to one side cheerfully.

"Hi there, Matsushita Ai!" she began, brightly. Saber stood at the ready, eyes on the small shape of the Einzbern girl, but both Master and Servant knew hostilities were unlikely in broad daylight. Still, though…

"… What… why are you here?" asked Ai, finally. It wasn't as if there was any way to use Berserker subtly, after all, and Alysvial had seemed quite dedicated to her cause of eradicating all the other Servants in the Holy Grail War. So why was she greeting them so brightly, when it wasn't even close to getting dark out?

"It's only polite to thank someone when they do something for you, isn't it?" asked Alysvial, her smile fading slightly, "Matsushita, I thought you would remember… you saved me yesterday! But I didn't thank you… and that isn't right at all!"

Yesterday… when Ai had used her ice shield to defend the red-eyed little girl? She hadn't expected to be thanked, she just couldn't let someone like that get killed…

"I wanted to invite you to my home to thank you!" continued Alysvial, her smile returning in full force, "We might have to be enemies, because I'm here to kill all the other Servants, but right now we can be friends for a little while, right?"

Given the way that the delicate little girl had so recently completely rejected treating any other participants in the war as anything other then enemies, it was a surprise to hear something like this from her. Once again, the way Alysvial spoke so innocently about killing the others, about how it was what she apparently had to do as a sort of duty… it was strange.

"You certainly didn't seem inclined to friendship before," commented Saber, warily.

In response, Alysvial tilted her head, simply appearing to be confused by the swordswoman's words.

"I thought I was being pretty nice, though…" said the little girl, slowly trailing off as she did. Did the Einzbern girl really believe that? Given everything Ai had heard from her previously, it seemed like perhaps she did.

"But the important thing is that I want to thank Matsushita properly!" she continued, her bright smile returning as she spoke. "You saved my life!"

Before Ai could respond, the little girl raced over to her, grabbing her hands in her own excitedly. With some irritation, Ai noticed there was very little difference in height between herself and Alysvial, when she was this close. But now wasn't the time to be concerned about something like that. She couldn't let herself focus on something so trivial.

Saber, meanwhile, still seemed somewhat wary, but also seemingly concluded that Alysvial wasn't going to try anything, given she had shown up in the middle of the day without Berserker.

"Are you going to come home with me?" asked the little girl. Ai wasn't quite sure what to say. She hesitated for a few moments, uncertainly, before finally deciding to make her reply.

"… I-I'll be able to bring Saber with me, won't I?" she asked. If she couldn't bring her Servant, she would be reluctant to go. Even if she was able to summon Saber to her side with a Command Seal, she had no idea what awaited her in Alysvial's home, and Berserker was dangerous even if the little girl didn't seem to be planning anything dangerous.

"Ah? Um… okay! But there won't be any fighting," Alysvial answered, cheerily, "It's going to be a no fighting day, since I want to thank you properly!"

It was surreal. Alysvial was an incredibly dangerous due to the Servant she had summoned, but she seemed so innocent. There wasn't a single sign of deceit or malice… It wasn't that Ai hadn't already seen this behavior, but it was even stranger now… even after nearly dying, Alysvial seemed like she was so cheerful and didn't behave at all like someone in a war… She didn't deserve to be here. Someone like this shouldn't have been involved in a life or death battle.

But what could Ai do? She had no idea what the circumstances revolving around Alysvial's participation in the war were. She had no idea if there was any way to help her. On top of that, the little girl was normally adamant about their opposition to one another. Even now, she said this was only a day of friendship, rather then any kind of allegiance like she had with Tsubaki.

"Is something wrong?" asked Alysvial, tilting her head.

"Ah… no, um…" Ai shook her head. For the moment, she had to try and focus on the here and now, and the simple fact was that Alysvial wanted an answer. "… I-I'll go."

"Yay! I'm so glad!" declared Alysvial, "I'll lead the way! Follow me, Matsushita, Saber!"

With that, the little girl turned on her heel and began to walk away. After a moment's pause, Ai glanced towards Saber, who was watching Alysvial walk, before beginning to follow her as well.

"Oh, and this is special treatment, Matsushita," said the white-haired child, suddenly, her crimson eyes glancing briefly over her shoulder as she walked, "No-one else in this war is going to get a ceasefire from me! All their Servants are going to be killed as fast as Berserker can do it!"

Seeing that innocent, cheery look on her face as she talked about the slaughter she wanted Berserker to carry out… Alysvial was cute, but there was no denying how unnerving that was.

"I'm going to tell you lots and lots of things that nobody else will get to know!" continued Alysvial, brightly, "Isn't it exciting? I guess your Servant will get to know, too, but it'll be secret from everyone else!"

As Alysvial walked, she was practically skimping, her arms held outward, swaying slightly with each step she made as she walked along the very edge of the sidewalk.

"… Er, yes!" Ai agreed, nervously, not wanting to upset the little girl, "It's very exciting!"

Alysvial's bright smile grew at Ai's words.

"So," Saber said, bending down slightly as she moved forward to address the white-haired child, "Did you see who might have tried to hurt you, Alys-chan?"

The swordswoman's demeanor changed rather quickly. She'd gone from wary of Alysvial, to treating her rather nicely, talking in a soft tone and smiling at her. After a moment's thought, Ai recalled that Okita Souji apparently did well with children.

The Einzbern girl shook her head.

"I don't know. I could feel the mana building up, but it was like they were trying to mask what they were doing. I didn't know it was happening until Matsushita saved me," Alysvial responded, her voice sounding more serious as she did, "I know it was one of the other Masters… whoever it was is Berserker's number one target, now!"

It was what Ai had expected. There was no way of telling exactly who had initiated the attack, and they'd probably utilized the distraction of the fight with Caster to ensure that would be the case. All the small brunette knew for sure is that it wasn't her, and it wasn't Tsubaki. She felt it was unlikely that it was Theomanius, but she didn't know enough about him to be certain.

Indeed, all that she could be certain of was the fact that it wasn't her, nor was it Tsubaki. Speaking of which, she hoped that the other girl was doing well… it definitely looked like she wouldn't be going to check on her now. Alysvial was humming to herself at this point, a tune that Ai didn't recognize exactly. There was an unusual sort of familiarity to it, as if it wasn't something she had heard, exactly, but something similar to a song she had heard once.

"Alys-chan, do you really know what the Grail War is all about?" Saber asked, still talking to the little girl in a friendly manner.  
Alysvial's response was almost immediate.

"I'm supposed to get rid of all the other Servants!" she said, insistently, "That's what it's about!"

Did she not know what the real purpose of the Holy Grail War was? It almost sounded like she didn't. But why would that be the case? As far as Ai knew, the Einzbern were an important and powerful family of magi. Admittedly, she wasn't the most familiar with them, but she was certain that was the case. Was it because they had entered a child in the war that they hadn't told her everything? Did they not believe she needed to know that the Holy Grail would provide something so valuable?

"A-are you sure there's no other reason?" asked Ai, picking up the pace to approach the little girl. Alysvial paused for a moment to turn to face her, looking thoughtful.

"… Nope, that's all!" she declared, before quickly heading on her way.

Whatever the case was, it was clear to Ai that Alysvial had been told her only purpose in the war was to kill the other Servants. She had no idea why, but she'd never been informed of the Grail's purpose. Was it because of her age? Did they think it wasn't a good idea to let a child know what the true purpose of the Grail was? If that was the case, though… why would they have her participate in the Holy Grail War in the first place?

It was cruel.

But before she could try and talk to Alysvial more about how she'd come to be involved in the Holy Grail War, they turned another corner and…

Had… had that mansion always been there? It didn't feel like it had been. Ai swore she'd walked by this place recently and she hadn't seen it. Before she could question it, Alysvial happily strolled up to the front door.

"So… is this where you live, Alys-chan…?" asked Saber, following the little girl to the door. Ai followed her, looking at the building in wonder. It was a large, western mansion, with grey walls and blue rooftops, almost looking like it had been taken out of some kind of fairytale. As the small brunette approached the mansion, she tried to figure out just how this was possible. It had to be some sort of bounded field or something, didn't it? That could hide the presence of such a huge structure…

"It's a very large house… are you all alone?" asked Saber as they approached the door. Alysvial shook her head.

"No, Berserker is here too," said the little girl insistently. Without her action, the door opened seemingly on its own, and the three girls proceeded into the mansion. "And all of them, too."

Immediately upon entering, Ai noticed the maids. There were many of them, immediately curtsying as they caught sight of their mistress. A few things stood out to the short magus instantly. Firstly, she couldn't help but notice that they resembled her own maids rather distinctly. The same white hair and exceptionally pale skin, albeit darker, more red eyes. The second thing Ai realized was just how closely every single maid resembled Alysvial herself. Certainly, their hair was styled in various different ways, but there was no ignoring their facial features.

Were all of them related to the little girl…?

"Greetings, ojou-sama," the maids said in chorus, paying almost no attention to Ai or Saber.

"… Ah! She has even more than you, Master!" declared the girl samurai, looking around with a brief look of wonder on her face as she did, "I didn't expect that."

It didn't look like her Servant had noticed how closely all the maids resembled their mistress, and Ai herself wasn't sure if Alysvial would like it if she mentioned that fact. Rather then attempting to speak up about it, she instead stayed quiet. She didn't see Berserker anywhere, either…

"… Saber, is Berserker nearby?"

"Of course he is!" declared Alysvial, before Saber could respond, "But he's too big to fit through the doorways, so I have him stay in spirit form in the house."

A nod from Ai's Servant confirmed to her that this was the case. Berserker was present, but not currently in a physical form.

Ai hoped that this wouldn't become relevant information. So far, it seemed like Alysvial hadn't become upset, nor did she intend to call off the ceasefire while they were here. It wasn't out of the fact that she genuinely thought the little girl was liable to suddenly turn on them. But Berserker was incredibly powerful, and it felt like a good idea to be aware of his location.

By this point, Alysvial had approached one of the many maids.

"Prepare some tea!" she declared, and the maids swiftly nodded and departed to the kitchen, presumably.

Now that Ai's attention was off the maids, she could take in her surroundings better. It wasn't a very decorated mansion. In fact, there was an almost clinical feel about the entrance hall, though as Alysvial beckoned them further inside and up the stairway adorned with purple velvet carpeting, that feeling decreased.

"So, we're going to have tea, Alys-chan?" Saber asked, to which the little girl nodded enthusiastically.

"We'll talk over tea and sweets!" she added, brightly. One of the most dangerous Masters in the Holy Grail War was having them over for a tea party.

Ai couldn't say she had expected that at all.

When they reached Alysvial's room, beyond a large wooden door, Ai was immediately greeted with the sight of a large four poster bed, that seemed to be inhabited by a wide variety of stuffed toys. They ranged from teddy bears to a large stuffed lion, and there were a large number of frilly pillows as well. Other things of note included a small table, large enough for three people to sit at comfortably, a door to what was presumably quite a huge closet, a dresser, a desk, and a doorway out to a balcony. Just what kind of magecraft was capable of making a home like this appear from no-where?

"Come here!" declared Alysvial cheerfully, heading over to the table and taking a seat at one of the puffy-looking chairs. It was hard to refuse such a bright and cheerful-looking smile, even if Ai had wanted to, so both the small brunette and her Servant made their way to the table and sat down at each chair.

"This is the perfect place to talk," continued the little girl happily, as if feeling a sense of satisfaction over her decision to have a tea party in her room. "But what do you want to talk about? You should take advantage of this chance, since it's only going to happen once!"

"U-um…" Ai hesitated for a moment, uncertain, before finally blurting out what was possibly the most obvious thing she could have thought of. "T-tell us about yourself!"

"Ehhh?" Alysvial tilted her head, then took on a thoughtful expression, her feet kicking as she did, "Well… I'm just here to win! That's all! I'm not as interesting as my predecessor!"

Her… predecessor? That was a strange way to put it. What could she have meant by 'her predecessor'? Did she mean one of her ancestors?

"Your predecessor? Who was that, Alys-chan?" asked Saber, cocking her head slightly to one side as she did. At this point, it seemed like Saber was the best one for talking to the little girl. She really did take to children quickly…

"Illyasviel!" cheerfully declared Alysvial, "Illyasviel von Einzbern! No-one in the Einzbern family has ever surpassed her!"  
Illyasviel? Ai was beginning to put this all together, now. Illyasviel must have been an ancestor of Alysvial's who was extremely accomplished in some manner, someone that the little girl looked up to. That had to be it, didn't it?

"Illyasviel participated in the last true Holy Grail War!" continued Alysvial, brightly, "And she had one of the most powerful Servants! No matter how powerful I am, it was impossible to make me as strong as big sister Illyasviel. I wish I could have met her…"

"The… the last true Holy Grail War?" asked Ai, wide-eyed. What did that mean? The last Minami War? No, it didn't sound like that. "Alys-chan… um, what do you mean, the last True Holy Grail War?"

"Ah?" the little girl tilted her head. At that moment, her door opened, and her maids proceeded inside. They carried a tray of freshly-brewed tea, and an assortment of small pastries, slices of little cakes and fancy cookies that they quickly placed on the table.

"Your tea and snacks, ojou-sama," said one of the maids. Brightly, Alysvial clapped her hands together, and for a moment the serious conversation completely halted as Saber gazed at the snacks with shining eyes.

"Thank you!" said the pale little girl, brightly. As the maid's departed, she happily began to sample one of the snacks, a checkerboard cookie. Given how quickly Saber was digging into the sweets as well, Ai decided it would be wrong not to do the same herself. And… they… did look really good… picking up some sort of small pastry filled with cream, the short brunette took a bite.

Immediately, the light, flaky pastry gave way to a cool and creamy interior, a wonderful contrast combined with two sweet flavors that blended together perfectly… Ah, she didn't regret coming here at all, just for the taste of this snack! And… really, Alysvial was so adorable, that was kind of a bonus, too! Even if she was a scary enemy Master, that wasn't all she was…

Saber clearly agreed, after all, given how eagerly she was digging into all the sweets!

"Haaah, so tasty!" commented Alysvial as she chowed down on another cookie.

"These are great!" exclaimed Saber, "I just can't get enough!"

Ai nodded, smiling.

"I'm glad I came here, just because of these sweets…" she said. Alysvial almost seemed to be exuding an air of smug pride, as if she was incredibly satisfied at the popularity of the snacks her maids had prepared. However, a few moments later, Ai remembered herself.

The last true Holy Grail War…

"R-right, um, Alys-chan, what I was saying before… what did you mean about the last true Holy Grail War?" asked Ai, more insistently this time. The little girl paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, as if she was trying to decide how to explain what she was thinking.

"The Minami Holy Grail Wars are wrong," she finally settled on, though the way she spoke about it made it seem as if she wasn't too certain of what she meant, either, "They shouldn't be happening. That was what the old man said. That's why I'm here. To make it stop."

What did any of that mean? It was strange. She'd never heard about anything like this before…

"… But… what was the last true war you were talking about, Alys-chan?" asked Saber, equally confused.

"The last true Holy Grail War was in Fuyuki City, in 2004," explained Alysvial, "The one Illyasviel got to fight in! That's just one reason I'll never be able to match her."

Ai vaguely recalled that there had been previous wars in another city. But… what made that specific war the last true Holy Grail War? It was yet another confusing piece of information among all the others. Just what had Alysvial been taught? What did she think was wrong about this war?

"But what's so wrong about this war, compared to the other Holy Grail Wars, then?" asked Saber, leaning towards Alysvial slightly as she did. Certainly it seemed as if the Servants hadn't detected anything that was amiss. Given where Caster had chosen to place her workshop, she certainly hadn't. What was it that Alysvial thought was wrong?

Aside from the idea of dying in the war…

"It's… wrong! It shouldn't be happening here! At all!" declared the nearly-albino little girl, insistently, brow furrowing as she spoke. Had she even been told why it was wrong? "That's why I have to make sure it ends!"

For all of Alysvial's innocent and childish behavior, even though she didn't seem to be able to provide more of an explanation for just how the Minami Holy Grail War was 'wrong', she certainly seemed adamant about it. Ai could tell it was a belief she felt incredibly strongly. The old man she spoke of before must have ingrained this into her as deeply as he could.

"I don't want to win because I want the prize," Alysvial continued, arms folded across her chest, "I want to win to make sure the war ends! And Berserker won't lose!"

Certainly, the little girl was very confident in herself. And Ai couldn't exactly argue with her, even if she'd wanted to. She summoned and controlled Berserker, a class that consumed a great deal of mana for its upkeep, without even the slightest sign of any sort of strain. There was no question that, especially given her age, she was an incredibly powerful mage and one of the most dangerous masters in the war.

And yet, right now, she was a cute little girl, getting frustrated over the talk about the wrongness she believed was present in this Holy Grail War.

"That's that! There's nothing else to it!" declared Alysvial, insistently. At this point, it was clear Alysvial truly didn't have any idea what it was she thought was wrong about the Holy Grail War, or that she was unwilling to say what it was.

"That didn't really explain much, Alys-chan," commented Saber, though she was still trying to give the white-haired girl a pleasant smile.

"Well, that's how it is!" was the only response that Alysvial was willing to give. It didn't take an expert on human behavior to know that the little girl didn't feel like talking about this anymore.

Still sitting, the Einzbern girl placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward slightly.

"And I thought you'd want to hear all about Illyasviel instead of the war! We've been fighting the war every day, so I don't know why you'd want to talk about it even more," she continued, with a pout. "It's all wrong, but It's not like you would just give up."

Ai didn't know what to think about that. Giving up… it would be wrong to do that to Saber, and it would be a betrayal of the people who had helped her so much in life. But she wanted to know just what was so apparently wrong about what was occurring. Aside from it being a war where people could die, at least… but she could guess that Alysvial was unwilling to talk about it more, if she even knew what it was she was talking about.

"It's okay, Alys-chan," Saber said, quickly, waving her hand at the disgruntled little girl, "Don't worry about that. It's not like we're not curious, but you don't have to talk about that if you don't want to. Um…"

She paused for a moment.

"… What would you like to tell us about Illyasviel-san?" she asked, finally. That seemed to be a topic that the little girl enjoyed a great deal, at least. And while it wasn't as important as the reasons she had for thinking the Holy Grail War was wrong… well… at the moment, Ai guessed it was just something he had been told by the old man she'd mentioned before.

"Lots of things!" declared Alysvial, brightly, "I can tell you she's the strongest Einzbern homunculus ever! Ever!"  
Homunculus? An artificial human? If Alysvial's 'predecessor' was a homunculus, did that mean… just what was the little girl's nature?

"… A-Alysvial… are you a homunculus, too?" Ai asked, hesitantly. Of course, she didn't want to upset the Einzbern girl, but she'd openly referred to Illyasviel as a homunculus, so she didn't think being called such a thing would bother her.

Indeed, Alysvial simply nodded her head.

"I was made to end the Grail War! Getting to summon Berserker and fight is just like Illyasviel…" the extremely pale little girl let out a dreamy-sounding sigh as she spoke about her predecessor again. "But I'm no-where near as good as her."

She existed because she was supposed to end the Grail War? For a few moments, Ai simply stared. That was so… so cruel. The only reason she was alive was for the purpose of fighting? How could someone do that to a little girl? Tell them the reason they existed was to fight and kill? And yet, it seemed as if Alysvial herself didn't mind at all… She seemed just as cheerful as she had moments before.

Saber, too, wasn't certain what to say for a few moments, instead remaining quiet.

"… Alys-chan, you were made for this?" she asked, slowly. Her cheery, good-natured attitude, which had been on display in full force only moments before, had suddenly become far less bright.

"… Yes? Why?" she asked, tilting her head, "That's just why I exist."

"… I see…" Saber's eyes drifted downwards, somewhat. Ai had a feeling they were thinking along the same lines. That it was terrible to give someone a purpose that was simply to fight without even telling them why, or how serious it was. Especially given the way Alysvial behaved… why would someone do such a thing to someone like her?

"… Heeeh, you're not eating your snacks, anymore…" the little girl began, leaning forward slightly as she did. "Aren't they good?"

"Oh… o-of course, Alys-chan," responded Ai, quickly, picking up another cookie. How did you address a subject like this when it was someone so young? Should she even? It didn't seem as if Saber knew what to do, either, and Ai ended up quietly eating her cookie. Needless to say, the revelation that Alysvial had literally been born for the purpose of fighting in the Holy Grail War, one that she believed was wrong in the first place, had put quite a damper on the mood. And yet, it truly didn't seem was if Alysvial understood why things had suddenly become quite a bit less lively.

She just seemed confused.

"A tea party is supposed to be something happy," commented the little girl, with a frown, "I'm supposed to be thanking you for saving me, but it's no good if you're unhappy…"

Quickly, Saber shook her head, waving her hands.

"No, that's not it, Alys-chan. It's nothing you did, so don't worry, okay?" she said, giving Alysvial a reassuring smile as she spoke. It wouldn't do any good just to upset her, especially after hearing all that… "The snacks are great, by the way. Your maids are really good at baking."

The little girl's mood perked up almost immediately.

"They are! I made sure they all knew how to bake anything I could possibly want!" she declared, proudly. At least seeing how eager she was to talk about the skills of her maids made Ai feel a little bit better. At least she seemed happy… but… the fact that she was a homunculus explained a lot. How she was able to support Berserker so easily… weren't homunculi essentially human magic circuits? It was her understanding of them, at least. It also explained her involvement in the war, even if that didn't make it any less sad.

"Really? So they can make any kind of sweet at all?" the swordswoman asked, possibly trying to distract herself from the dark topic as well. It was something they would have to discuss later, when they weren't talking to Alysvial. It wouldn't do any good trying to discuss it with her, since she didn't seem to realize just how cruel it was.

"That's right! Each one of them can do it all!" responded the little girl cheerfully, kicking her feet as she spoke, "Isn't that amazing? You can't help but praise how amazing my maids are, right?"

"I guess they are pretty amazing if they can do all that," agreed Saber. For a moment, Ai wondered if Marianne and Charlotte were suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of jealousy that they couldn't explain. Then again, Saber had praised Marianne's food preparation skills plenty of times in the past. Charlotte… well, Saber had never seen Charlotte cook before and it wasn't anything Ai was about to show her Servant. There was no need to make her ill.

"Illyasviel had maids too," added Alysvial, cheerfully smiling, her feet kicking, "And I bet they were even better then mine! And my maids are already the best, so Illyasviel's maids had to be better than that."

"So… where is Illyasviel now?" asked Ai, finally. She couldn't help but be curious, and keeping the discussion away from Alysvial's origins seemed like a good idea for the moment.

For several moments, the little girl was completely silent, her feet having completely stopped kicking. She glanced to the side, her smile fading before she finally spoke.

"… She's not around anymore," answered Alysvial, "I never got to meet her…"

Ah… that had been a mistake, hadn't it? Ai immediately felt rather guilty. It was clear the fact that Alysvial had never met her predecessor was upsetting to her, and had quickly put the girl into a much less upbeat mood. Had Illyasviel died in the 'last true Holy Grail War'? She wasn't about to ask more then she already had, for fear of upsetting their host further. The way Alysvial had spoken about Illyasviel had made her curious, but it wasn't worth making her sad to learn more.

"I-I'm sorry, Alys-chan," said Ai, doing her best to give a reassuring smile like Saber had done, "You don't have to talk about that anymore, okay?"

Alysvial shook her head.

"No, you didn't know… it's fine…" she responded, before taking a deep breath, "But… but I don't want to talk about that anymore…"

Ai nodded, and so did Saber. They both understood exactly why.

And then…

Saber suddenly shot to her feet. At her side, her sheathed katana materialized almost immediately, and she placed a hand on the hilt.

"There's another Servant here," she said, immediately, "Aside from Berserker. I can feel it!"

"Berserker sensed it too!" cried Alysvial as she sprang to her feet as well. Quickly Ai got out of her seat. There was a third Servant present? If Lancer was still watching over Tsubaki, like she was supposed to, there was no way it could possibly be her. That left one of the other Servants… but who? It was obvious both Saber and Berserker were present here, wouldn't it be foolish to attack under those conditions? Even Rider would at least step back and think twice, wouldn't she…?

"S-Saber, can you tell who it is?" questioned the small brunette. Swiftly, the Servant shook her head. She had no way of knowing exactly whose presence they had detected. Didn't that make it unlikely it was Assassin? Wouldn't she be using presence concealment?

That felt likely in Ai's mind, at least. It made sense to her.

For several long moments, all three girls stood ready. Alysvial was prepared to call Berserker from spirit from at a moment's notice.

And yet, nothing happened.

"… They disappeared…" said Saber, finally, straightening slightly. "I can't sense their presence anymore."

Ai couldn't hide her confusion. A Servant had appeared with their presence unmasked for a brief few moments, and then simply left? It didn't make sense. What purpose could they possibly have, and just how did they get here?

"… If they penetrated the bounded field, was it Assassin…?" asked Alysvial, her tone suddenly more serious.

… Was it…?

Ai couldn't be certain.

* * *

Slowly, Rani blinked her eyes open. She was lying on her side, near the summoning circle. Her mind was swimming, her thoughts scrambled and incoherent for several moments, as if she had been asleep for a very long time. Her entire body felt like lead, and it was difficult to even move. For a few moments, the dark-skinned girl struggled to recall what had happened, to remember what had followed the ritual. She had conducted the summoning just as ordered, following the directions to the letter, and then… something strange had happened.

Shakily, the purple-haired girl sat up, weakly shaking her head. Even her vision seemed to blur and swim for a few moments… she thought she saw some sort of dark mass, but it was difficult to perceive what it was, even as she shook her head. Had she been knocked unconscious…? By what?

As her vision cleared, she began to realize other crucial details. The entire chamber had been damaged, chunks of the ceiling torn down, windows shattered. It was almost as if some sort of explosion had gone off in the middle of the room. And yet… she didn't feel as if she had been harmed. Perhaps her body had gone into shock, but aside from the strange heaviness afflicting her body, she couldn't detect any injury.

As her mind cleared, however, she froze.

The corpse of one of the Atlas agents who had accompanied her laid on the ground, on the opposite side of the summoning chamber. His head was simply gone, a charred stump being what remained of his neck. Around him was a dark, black substance, that seemed to seethe unnaturally. Rani's eyes widened, and slowly she managed to stumble to her feet. What happened? Why was he dead? Had the summoning gone wrong? But she'd followed every specification, and even waited until…

Slowly, Rani's eyes travelled upwards.

A young woman was floating in the air. Her skin was deathly pale, her hair a silver, almost white. Her eyes were a dull gold, and on her upper arms and face were strange, red markings that almost seemed to move of their own accord. Rani was a homunculus, she had not been created to feel any sort of fear. She existed for the purpose of conducting her duties as an agent of Atlas. And yet, something about this woman… she felt wrong. Her body was clad in a strange, dark red dress, the skirt seeming to be composed of wide rectangular strips of cloth.

Rani stumbled back. But she felt so strangely heavy… why? It was as if there was a weight on her… magic circuits…

A homunculus was created to be a magic circuit in the form of a human, and Rani was no exception. And yet, the weight she felt… it was undeniable. Her mind began to finally perceive just what the woman in the air was. In fact, at this point, there was not mistaking it. There was no denying just what she was looking at.

Her Servant.

Something had gone terribly wrong. Something had killed one of her fellow members of Atlas, and torn this room apart, and produced that… horrible black mud. Simply looking at it told Rani just how dangerous it was. It was something terrible, composed of darkness… Was everyone else in the base alive? Was the vampire safe? What was going to happen? Thoughts ran through Rani's mind at the pace of a bullet train.

Trying to shake off the weight on her body, Rani attempted to conduct an analysis of what had just occurred. Somehow, the summoning had gone wrong. She couldn't understand how, but the circle seemed to be intact. Had her Servant been responsible for knocking her unconscious? Was she responsible for the deaths and destruction, or had something else occurred that had caused it? She was incredibly beautiful, and yet at the same time she was so… wrong. Something was terribly off about her, even if in all respects she looked like a young woman sculpted to perfection.

Rani stepped back again, and she felt her back hit the door to the room. It didn't open. She couldn't retreat and attempt to figure out a plan… so… she had to contain this incident herself, didn't she? It was the only option she could foresee. But she didn't even know where to begin. That black, seething mud was slowly vanishing, seeming to curl into itself. As it brushed past the dead man's headless corpse, Rani could smell the terrible stench of smoldering flesh. Had that been what beheaded him? At the very least, seeing its effects, Rani could attempt to make a guess at its nature. It had to be some sort of extremely powerful curse, something that had the very nature of 'anti-humanity'. Even the agent's corpse burned on simple contact as the mud slowly drew itself into a single point, before flowing upwards and seeming to vanish into thin air. At least, that's how it seemed.

Rani hadn't been able to catch just what happened to the mud, where it had vanished to. It seemed like it was suddenly gone, but she almost thought she heard some sort of click, as if something had opened and shut. What she did see was the fact that the floating young woman was now looking directly at her.

Had she been the cause of all this? Had the Servant Rani summoned caused this destruction? In the end, it began to seem like that was the only option.

Raising her hand, Rani looked at her command seals. If that truly was the case… wasn't there no choice but to end it here? If her seals didn't work, however… the contract would be ended. It was possible an order to kill herself would be rejected strongly enough. Was this even intentional? Rani's attempts at analyzing the events around her had so far failed, no matter what she tried to do.

The woman began to descend. There was no option, but to attempt to utilize her command seals, was there? She could not take a single chance.

As she raised her hand, the Servant landed in front of her, gently taking her hand and lowering it away. Her facial expression was completely blank.

And then, she spoke.

"Servant Avenger, summoned by your words."

She stopped speaking, and for a moment was completely silent. Then…

"Are you my Master?"


	11. Chapter 11

Slowly, Tsubaki's eyes opened. She blinked blearily, and then yawned. After a few moments, she slowly remembered just what had happened to her. She remembered the alleyway, and then the encounter with Rani. Her heart sank as she recalled how the Atlas agent had taken Saori away… Tsubaki had failed to save her. She didn't even have any idea where Saori was. After that point… she didn't remember anything. Tsubaki recalled feeling very faint, but that was all. Now…

Blearily, the tanned girl looked around the room. Slowly, she began to realize it was her bedroom, everything immediately seeming familiar.

Had she collapsed? She almost remembered something like that happening… maybe staying up all night the previous day, trying to plan out every detail as much as she could, really had been a bad idea. It hadn't paid off whatsoever, after all. If anything, it had only made things even worse. And they'd already been bad enough… Tsubaki slowly sat up. Lancer wasn't visible, but the girl could feel her Servant's presence. She knew she was nearby, watching over her. If nothing else, that was something comforting to think about. Her body felt somewhat heavy, but it seemed as if she'd managed to recover… that was good too, at least.

"Master, you're awake?" came Lancer's voice. Tsubaki swiftly turned to the source, to see her Servant seemingly form from thousands of motes of golden light. Of course, she'd been in spirit from to lessen the burden on her… Not that it had been Lancer's usage of mana that had caused her to pass out. The blonde knight approached her bedside, kneeling down near the bed as she did.

"Are you well? How do you feel?" she asked, concern plain on her face. In spite of how she was feeling, Tsubaki gave her servant a smile. If nothing else, it was good to know that Lancer was still the same as ever.

"… I feel fine. Groggy, but fine," she responded, stretching one of her arms as she did. "How long was I asleep? I don't remember much after the alleyway…"

"You've been asleep for most of the day. It is now evening," replied Lancer, rising to her feet as she did. It was evening? She'd slept for that long? Well… Tsubaki supposed she did have to make up for her lack of rest, didn't she…

"It's a good thing the school is closed, heh," responded the tan girl, with a weak laugh. It was hard to feel particularly good about that given the recent events, but at least it wasn't something she had to worry about right now.

"I agree, it allowed you plenty of time to rest without concern," Lancer nodded, "Even if it was not closed, however, I would have advised that you remain home in order to rest. Honestly, Master, skipping a whole night of sleep…"

"I know, Lancer," said Tsubaki, "It wasn't very smart of me. All it did was make everything worse. It certainly didn't help Saori-san…"

"… Ah…" Lancer averted her blue eyes from her Master, "… If… if it helps… there's no reason to believe she has been harmed. I don't believe Rani was lying. I will try and find her, if you wish."

"… No… you don't have to, Lancer," replied Tsubaki, defeated. It was Atlas. Who knew where they had taken Saori? No… they had to ensure that nothing like that happened again. She had to hope Saori was well… it was all she could do, right now. "… I want to look for her… I really do… but… I don't know where to begin. She's just disappeared, after all."

"Nevertheless, I'll assist you, Master," Lancer said, without hesitation. "I am a knight, and if she is in need of rescue it is my duty to ensure she is safe."

… If there was any chance of finding Yumimura Saori, she had to take it. But that wasn't all she had to keep in mind. In the name of the Inoue family, she had to claim victory in the Holy Grail War. The cold separation of emotions and duty… Tsubaki didn't think it was something she was truly capable of. But it was hard to say that simply charging out and looking for Saori would be any help at the moment. She had to locate some sort of lead… They'd found her, only to see her disappear just like that, hadn't they?

"… If we can find any leads at all, we have to follow them," Tsubaki said, finally, clambering out of bed as she did. Her limbs felt rather heavy… even if Lancer hadn't told her, she still would have been able to tell she'd slept for quite a bit longer than usual. "… But I can't forget about the Holy Grail War. I don't want anyone else to suffer like Saori-san did."  
Lancer rose to her feet. A look of determination burned in her blue eyes, and she nodded firmly.

"Of course, Master. I cannot allow such evil to be performed once again," responded the blonde-haired knight, "No matter who it is, Master or Servant, there's no way I can allow anyone to cause such pain."

Good. Tsubaki wouldn't have expected anything else from Lancer, anyway. She was a knight of justice who upheld all that was good and just. That was one of the reasons she had been happy to summon her, after all.

"You're so dependable, Lancer," commented Tsubaki, with a smile, "And dedicated, too. Just like your legend."

It was at this point that there was no way for Lancer to stop herself from showing at least some pride.

"I would not be who I am without such dedication, Master," she responded, "To my cause in life, and to you. There is absolutely no way I can allow myself to yield."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Tsubaki, taking a deep breath as she did, "I've spent all this time resting… we have to go out tonight. We need to see if we can find something that can show us where Saori-san was taken to, we need to make sure no-one else suffers like she did… we need to do something. I won't just sit here any longer, not after I slept almost the whole day away."

Lancer gave her another nod. She wasn't going to be disputing that, Tsubaki knew quite well.

"However… are you certain you are ready, Master?" the knight asked, concerned, "I have no desire to stop you, but you did pass out from lack of sleep."

"And I spent the whole day sleeping afterwards," Tsubaki answered, stretching, "Like I said, I can't just sit here any longer."

"I do not disagree, and I wish to do everything I can, too," responded Lancer, "But I do not want to see you collapse again, either. I want to be certain you are well."

"Don't worry, Lancer," Tsubaki stretched again, trying to loosen up her limbs as she did. It was time to get moving. "I spent all this time in bed, I think I'm going to be just fine. You're acting like some kind of big sister, you know."

"Ah, er… am I?" replied the blonde knight, her cheeks coloring somewhat. If nothing else, at least seeing her Servant get flustered a bit helped to brighten Tsubaki's mood, if only a little. It was cute.

"That's enough to make you blush, Lancer?" the tan girl asked, smiling at the somewhat taller girl, now, "Aren't you supposed to be made of sterner stuff? You are a knight, after all!"

"… Now… now you're just teasing me, Master…" protested the blonde girl with a small frown. Tsubaki let out a little chuckle and scratched the back of her head.

"Ahh, sorry, but… I needed to cheer up a little bit, I guess…" she replied, trailing off. "I can't help but tease you, when that's how you react."

"This is not a proper relationship between a Master and a Servant at all," insisted Lancer, her expression hardening. However, moments later, her gaze softened, and she smiled slightly. "But… Even still, I am glad that you are feeling better."

Tsubaki returned the smile. This hardly made her feel particularly better about the events of the previous night, but at least it was something that could cheer her up a little bit. But for now, the most important thing was to ensure she was fully prepared for the patrol tonight, and any possible conflicts. And she had to be ready to keep an eye out for any clues she could follow to locate Saori…

"I need to take a shower first, Lancer. It'll help wake me up and prepare to get out there," stated the black haired girl, nodding to herself. Lancer bobbed her head in acknowledgement and swiftly turned, departing from the bedroom. Moments later, the door shut, leaving Tsubaki completely alone in her room.

Taking a deep breath, the tanned girl left her bedroom as well, turning down the hallway to the right and heading into the bathroom. Once she was there, she shed her pyjamas(wait, had Lancer changed her?) and began to run the water. As it warmed up, her mind wandered. Not only to the subject of Yumimura Saori, but… was Ai doing okay, as well? It hadn't been very long, but there was something about the short brunette that just made her worry about her, sometimes…

And that wasn't the only reason she had to be worried about Ai, really…

Tsubaki shook her head, glancing towards the water. By this point, it looked like it was warm enough, and sticking her hand into the water confirmed it was the case. No matter how the black-haired magus was feeling, there was at least something comforting about the warm water running down her body as she stepped into her shower. That simply wasn't something she could deny even when she was in her worst moods.

As relaxing as the water in the shower was, Tsubaki couldn't allow herself to lose track of the time. She'd managed to walk herself back from simply sprinting out of her house without even thinking about what she was doing and searching every nook and cranny in the entire town of Minami for Saori, as much as she wanted to, by considering the fact that this wouldn't necessary help her friend. But that didn't mean she could just sit and relax in the shower. She had to look for clues. She had to make sure no-one else ended up getting drawn into the war.

Soon enough, the tanned girl stepped out of her shower and shut off the water, busying herself with drying her body and hair. As she did, Tsubaki's mind drifted to the matters at hand. Namely, the path moving forward in the Holy Grail War. If she ended it as quickly as possible, that meant it was unlikely no-one else would end up like Saori did, didn't it? That made sense to her. And one of the best ways to ensure that would happen was to support Ai. Not just because they were friends, and to do anything else would be wrong, but also because their alliance would allow them to defeat other enemy Servants more quickly. With Caster gone, Tsubaki was certain that the battle would begin to progress even more quickly.

In terms of their enemies, there was no question in the girl's mind that the most dangerous among them were Rider and Berserker. Rider's power had been displayed plenty, especially during the fight with the Quilled Boar, and Berserker had critically injured Saber with a single blow from one of his huge hands. Beyond that, it would be completely foolish to discount the threat of Servants like Archer and even Assassin. Even though they now knew all her tricks, it was unlikely that Assassin had been totally defanged just because of that.

She was still a Servant, after all.

And certainly, while Archer would be unlikely to win if forced into a straight fight at close range… well, the strategies employed by his Master made it clear that it wouldn't be easy to entrap him in such a scenario. No matter how polite Theomanius had been, his actions spoke of someone who was willing to use unconventional plots in order to forge a path to victory.

As a result, there was no telling what kind of tactics Archer could employ. And she hadn't seen the full capabilities of that familiar, either. She looked like a cute little girl, but did that really mean that was all she is? It was quite possible she had more capabilities then they knew about. After all, one of the Masters was a child, and she was far more dangerous then she appeared. For that matter, Ai looked like one as well… not that she'd go saying that to her ally's face. It seemed a little cruel. Regardless, there was a lot that Tsubaki had to consider.

But it was best to talk these things over with her Servant. They'd be able to plan out their next course of action more effectively, then. The most important thing was to make sure that they got out and successfully made some kind of progress, no matter how small. If they couldn't locate any clues to Saori's current location… then maybe if they found some sort of hint to where one of the enemy Masters was setting up their base of operations… anything! They had to make some kind of achievement tonight! Tsubaki wouldn't accept anything else.

After the tanned girl finished drying off, she quickly dressed herself, a shirt, light short-sleeved jacket, and shorts. It was time to get going.

Making her way out of the bathroom and downstairs, she paused for a moment. The door to her father's room was open…

Had something happened? Tsubaki had been asleep for so long, if something had happened to her father then… then… stepped towards the doorway, she realized that his wheelchair was sitting empty near his bed… and he was resting peacefully. Had Lancer helped him? Whatever the case could be, it was enough to cause Saori to let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't been around very much recently… prior to the war, he'd assured her he could manage, but that didn't stop her from worrying. Seeing him resting peacefully put her heart at ease. At least it was something.

She continued on her way downstairs. There was Lancer, waiting for her below.

"Are you ready, Master?" asked the blonde knight. Tsubaki nodded.

They left the house quickly, and proceeded off the Inoue family property just as fast. Tsubaki was on a mission, and she couldn't allow herself to be slowed down. Not when it was so important.

For a while, the two girls proceeded along in silence, walking the empty streets without a word. Initially, Tsubaki had wanted to try and discuss strategy with her Servant, but at this point she wasn't even sure where to start. There was no real sign of any other Servant activity at this point, at least none that Lancer could detect, nor were there any clues to Saori's whereabouts. Not that Tsubaki could honestly say she knew what she was looking for when it came to those…

After a while, her heart twisting itself into a knot at the lack of progress, the black-haired girl looked towards her Servant.

"… Lancer…" she began, before pausing for a moment.

"What is it, Master?" asked the blue-eyed knight, cocking her head slightly to one side as she spoke, glancing towards Tsubaki.

"… I… you're a knight, and all…" continued the tanned magus, with a deep breath, "And you spent a lot of your life fighting… and pursuing justice. It's all part of your myth. So… what did you do when you couldn't protect someone? Afterwards, what did you say to yourself?"

For a few seconds, Lancer remained silent as they walked, quietly considering her Master's question. Tsubaki simply watched her. She'd read all about her Servant's legend, researched her as best she could once she understood who she would be summoning. It seemed like the smart thing to do, after all. This let her know that there had to have been times when something like that happened.

"… If you have read about my history," began Lancer, finally, after no small amount of silence, awkward walking as they did, "You know the lengths I went in order rescue someone very dear to me."

She paused for a moment, carefully glancing ahead to ensure there was nothing unusual nearby before she continued.

"At times, it felt like I would be so close to my goal, only for them to slip through my fingers suddenly, once more," the blonde continued, "It was painful. It would feel like I was on the brink, sometimes I could see the face of the one I wished to save…"

The blonde girl sighed.

"And then, just like that, they would be gone," she added, "Sometimes right before my eyes… I would fail in an instant. "

Tsubaki listened in silence. An experience like that… it must have been crushing. Losing someone each time you came close… it was like if she had lost Saori a hundred times over.

"But… for their sake, and the sake of those around me, I couldn't let myself dwell on it. There was no way I could simply be crushed by my failures," the knight continued, "No matter how much my heart ached, I pressed forward and continued to move on. Even if I had no idea where to turn next, I held my head up high. So that when we were finally reunited, I could look upon the one in my heart and show them that never once had I given up."

Never once had she given up…

So that was it. Tsubaki couldn't allow herself to falter, because Saori could be depending on her. And even if she couldn't find her, there were others who could be harmed by the Holy Grail War, weren't there… she had known from the start, of course, and certainly after Saori disappeared, but Lancer's words…

"I think I'm ready to really talk about our next move now," Tsubaki said, finally, "No more of this aimless wandering. We'll link up with-"

Suddenly, Lancer grabbed her shoulder and shoved Tsubaki behind her. Golden light gathered in her hand, forming her weapon, her armor following.

"Oh, now you're ready~?"

That voice…

Atop a nearby building, the pink-haired Rider licked her lips.

"I'd hoped Saber would be with you… but this is a good warmup~"

Her hair drifted in the wind as she cocked her head to the side.

"I'm surprised to see you apart, fufu~" she placed a hand to her lips as she giggled, "Before, it seemed almost like you were inseparable~ Oh well~"

Her small smile turned into a wide grin.

"Grinding you down under my lovely feet will take a lot less time when you're alone!"

With that, she sprang from the edge of the building. Beneath her, appearing in a shimmering golden light, was her bulls. They bellowed loudly and pawed at the concrete with their massive hooves as she landed in the seat, cracking her whip once.

The pavement beneath the chariot almost seemed to explode, as Medb spurred her chariot on into a blindingly fast charge! With little time to react, Lancer practically threw Tsubaki to the side. The tanned girl didn't even realize what happened, for a moment. One second she was behind Lancer, the next the air was rushing past her as she sailed off of the ground and over several meters. She did realize enough to tuck her limbs against her body and roll, recovering in time to see Medb's chariot nearly miss running Lancer into the ground!

The blonde knight stepped back, golden light flowing across her weapon as her blue eyes narrowed. She didn't even allow Rider to turn before immediately unleashing a brilliant beam of light from the tip of her lance, a crack like thunder resounding through the street! And yet…

Somehow, Medb reacted before it was even fired! Almost immediately she pulled her chariot around, the wheels spinning, the bulls tearing through the concrete and asphalt as they bellowed, turning. There was that brilliant flash of light from the center of Medb's crown once more, and Lancer sprinted to the side to avoid the destructive blast of rainbow magical energy as it tore a long gash through the street!

The colorful light faded, and Rider grinned smugly.

"It was a good plan, but you won't beat me~!" she declared, her bulls pawing at the concrete before lowering their horns in preparation to charge.

"I would not be so overconfident, Rider," retorted the blonde knight, adjusting her grip on her cavalry lance as the golden light faded from it.

Of everyone to take them on unprepared, it was Rider… Of course, Tsubaki still felt confident in her Servant. Lancer was plenty strong! But Rider was an extremely dangerous enemy. They'd already seen how strong she was the first time they clashed, and now there was no denying she also possessed an incredibly destructive anti-army Noble Phantasm. But Tsubaki knew it was unlikely even the capricious Queen of Connacht would risk using something that destructive in such a public area. Just because no-one was out didn't mean it was a good idea to fire an attack that could level the entire block and then some!

"A Queen is confident! A Queen is proud! And a Queen takes what she wants!" asserted Medb, her bulls bellowing as she charged once more! But this time, Lancer braced herself. Even as the bulls tore towards her, thundering, leaving hoofprints in the street, she didn't allow herself to move! At least, not yet… For a few moments, Tsubaki wasn't sure what it was that Lancer was doing, until she saw the light that was building at the tip of the knight's weapon. But it wasn't the destructive mana she'd unleashed before…

The tanned girl quickly understood Lancer's plan!

Just as Medb was about to reach her Servant…!

"Trap of Argalia!" cried Lancer, thrusting her cavalry lance forward! It glinted in the moonlight, a thin beam erupting for the tip, tearing towards one of the bulls! When it hit, the chariot would be unable to move with one of the beasts pulling it collapsed!

But then, it passed through empty air. Somehow, in spite of being in the middle of a full-speed charge, Rider had pulled her chariot to the side and evaded the beam?!

"What?!" cried Lancer. Tsubaki was equally stunned. Lancer had waited until the last moment! It wasn't possible to turn that quickly, even for a Servant! Unless… she was already prepared to evade the attack!? Recalling their first battle, hadn't Rider repeatedly managed to evade attacks that seemed like they should have come as a total surprise…? Perhaps then it seemed like a good sense when it came to combat, but now, when she had already prepared to dodge a point blank blast…

"Hm…" Rider stood, giving the stunned Lancer a smug smile as her golden eyes fixed on the armored girl, "You're almost as interesting as Saber… Knight of France~"

As the pink-haired Servant giggled, Tsubaki's eyes widened. Lancer had used her Noble Phantasm against the Quilled Boar, hadn't she? And now, here… there was no question that it would allow her to figure out Lancer's identity!

"It's not as if it wasn't obvious the first time," said Queen Medb, cocking her head as she did, "A brilliantly shining lance that immediately brings anything to its knees, causing it to fall and be unable to move… The Trap of Argalia! It's pretty clever~"

Tsubaki could see Lancer's grip tighten on her weapon as she faced the Queen of Connacht.

"But even that crossdressing paladin couldn't possibly pull off a look like that, could he?" questioned the pink-haired rider, gesturing towards the blonde knight with the tip of her riding crop. "So you must be the other wielder of that lance~ The mighty lady Knight of the White Plume, Bradamante!"

There was no more hiding it, now. At least not when it came to going up against Rider. Tsubaki had summoned Bradamante both due to her father providing the catalyst, and of course to the legendary power and determination attributed to the female French knight. But now, just like that, her identity was exposed. In the end, she couldn't say it was a shock, after Lancer's Noble Phantasm had been exposed twice. But still…

"Normally I prefer men, but the women of this Holy Grail War have been so interesting~" continued Medb, "And you look almost as delicious as Saber… fufu…"

Lancer narrowed her eyes.

"Even if you now know my identity, it will not cause my will to fight to falter," asserted the blonde knight, raising her cavalry lance as she did. Once again, brilliant golden light began to flow across the weapon. Naturally, trying to use the Trap of Argalia's trick wouldn't just work on someone who knew it was coming. It was a weapon about surprise, so unless Lancer had the perfect chance to disable the chariot, there was no point in attempting to use it immediately after it already failed. But how had Medb been ready to dodge…?

It was as if she had seen the future…

"I wouldn't expect it to, Lancer~" declared Rider cheerfully, spurring her bulls on with a crack of her riding crop. They bellowed, and thundered right for Lancer once more! This time, she had no illusion of attempting to counterattack, instead waiting until it was simply too difficult to change course in order to catch her out of her dodge. But Medb was quick to respond, and Tsubaki could see the light ignite in the center of her crown once more! It tore through the air, cutting it far too close to Lancer as she landed and rolled, clutching her weapon tightly!

If it really was the case that Rider could see the future, how could Lancer counter that? Tsubaki wracked her brains as she tried to figure out a solution, as she watched Lancer narrowly evade charge after charge from the pink-haired Servant's chariot. One of the bulls was missing one of its horns… Saber had managed to cut it off, hadn't she!? And Medb had seemed surprised… That meant even considering Rider's potential ability to look into future events, there was still some way to catch her by surprise that she couldn't avoid!

But how? Was it something only Saber was capable of?

There was that thunder-like sound again as light spiraled around Lancer's weapon and erupted forward in a brilliant golden beam of magical energy. But this time, Rider's chariot lifted completely off the ground and hurtled into the air, only to come slamming back down towards the blue-eyed knight! Thankfully, Lancer was still able to hurl herself back and out of the direct path of the chariot, but even the impact of the beast's hooves was sufficient to bowl her over and send her rolling backwards!

"Lancer!" cried Tsubaki, even as her Servant caught herself. The force of the chariot's landing had cratered the concrete, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. The knight paid her only a moment's notice, as if to affirm she was mostly unharmed, before swiftly righting herself as the bulls emerged from the cloud of dust.

Medb sat on the chariot, still grinning widely.

"You're so brave, it's just the kind of thing I can truly appreciate," said the pink-haired Rider, licking her lips in a predatory fashion, "So much so that in the off chance you were willing to get down on your knees and give me pleasure, I'd allow you and later Saber to serve as my conquests in this war!"

"As if I would ever submit to such a request!" snapped Lancer, brandishing her weapon and raising it to point towards the chariot, "Even in your legend, you allowed your desires to guide you, Queen of Connacht! The same holds true now!"

"You say that so accusingly, as if I ever denied it," responded Rider, that smug grin still adorning her beautiful face. "But I've always asserted that a Queen should follow her desires, haven't I? I think I've made what I want quite clear~"

It was so frustrating for Tsubaki to watch. It wasn't like it wasn't possible for Lancer to fight Rider, to harm her. In fact, the threat of Lancer's power was something Rider was acutely aware of. Rather, it was frustrating precisely because of that. Rider knew how dangerous Lancer was, and was using some kind of future seeing ability in order to completely evade her attacks. How did someone fight against an enemy that could look into the future!?

Saber had been able to, somehow. She'd been able to cut the horn off of one of those bulls. But there wasn't much time to try and figure out just how something like that was possible.

But… Tsubaki had to try something. Even if she hadn't been seriously harmed yet, there was almost no way of knowing if Lancer could hold up for much longer in a fight like this, when the enemy was so perfect at evading her attacks.

And so, the tanned girl did the first thing that came to mind.

She called to the enemy Servant.

"Rider! I've figured it out!" she cried. There was a moment of silence, as both Lancer and Rider seemed quite confused.

"Oh? Lancer's Master? What did you figure out?" Queen Medb questioned, after a moment, glancing towards Tsubaki as she did. Her golden eyes seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, but it was obvious Rider was curious about just what it was that she was talking about.

"The way you keep dodging, like you know exactly what Lancer is about to do!" declared Tsubaki. Even if Lancer had already figured it out, if nothing else this was providing a distraction, to give time for her Servant to recover and plan her next move, "It's not some sort of honed battle instinct, it's the ability to see into the future!"

"… Oh?" Rider cocked her head to one side, "Is that what you think? Well, it's true."

Queen Medb's smug grin grew wider by the second.

"It's an ability I stole from that bastard Conchobar~ It would usually feel disgusting using anything of his, but at the same time I've claimed it for my own. It's something of his that's become mine, it's such an exciting feeling that it almost makes me ache with desire~" she continued. "But frankly, I'm not sure how you would expect even the most skilled warrior to take advantage of this knowledge."

Conchobar… The King of Ulster? Tsubaki tried to recall what she knew of Celtic mythology. Ai wasn't the only one who had done her research leading up to the Holy Grail War, after all. However, she couldn't think of very much more beyond the basics, unfortunately she hadn't researched it as well as she perhaps should have. But still, this was something! Something Lancer could use, maybe! Even with her ability to see into the future… there had to be some way to defeat Rider! Even if Tsubaki wasn't able to come up with some kind of method to use in order to counteract it, maybe Lancer could!

"So you really can see into the future, Queen of Connacht," Lancer commented, raising her weapon as she did, "I thought it was almost impossible, the speed at which you were reacting to my attacks. Even for a Servant."

"I don't think I would blame you for surrendering now," responded Medb with a grin, "But to be honest, I don't mind if you refuse. The more you fight, the more exciting this becomes~ I'll inevitably crush you regardless, so as long as you struggle it's going to entertain me~"'

Lancer narrowed her blue eyes. It was currently difficult to think of a clear route to victory…

Even if someone knew that their opponent could see into the future, how much did being aware of that fact really help them? How could someone take advantage of knowing that your opponent was capable of know every single action they were about to undertake? It's not like knowing it made it impossible for Rider to continue to look into the future. There was nothing stopping her from continuing to foresee Lancer's every action.

"You cannot be undefeatable, no matter what you say," Lancer insisted, raising her weapon to point directly at the enemy Servant. Tsubaki clenched her fists. If she could think of anything, anything at all, she had to try it! There had to be something she could do in order to help Lancer, didn't there?

"Grinding you under my heel will be all the more lovely when you display that sort of defiance~" responded Medb, raising her riding crop…

Suddenly, a series of gunshots ran out! Tsubaki caught sight of a genuine look of surprise on Rider's face as she suddenly threw herself back into her chariot, bullets tearing through the space she had once occupied!

Gunshots that could harm a Servant… it had to be Archer!

Indeed, there, on a nearby rooftop, was the form of the cowboy Servant, smoke rising from the barrel of his revolver.

"I was wonderin' where you were, Rider," he commented, adjusting his hat with one hand, "Lookin' like you were havin' yourself quite a good time, huh?"

"… Hmph, Archer," commented Rider, emerging from her chariot as she spoke, her golden eyes now fixing on the interloper, "I can't say I'm unhappy to see you, but couldn't you have waited~? I wanted to crush Lancer into the dirt more slowly! Then again…"

Her smug grin returned.

"I've had plenty of threesomes~"

The center of Rider's crown flashed brightly, and a brilliant beam of magical energy tore towards Archer! The moment it hit the rooftop, it tore completely through the concrete, but Archer was able to evade the brunt of the blast by leaping to another rooftop. Before Rider could follow him, Lancer darted in, her weapon flashing! But it looked like Queen Medb wasn't distracted enough to be taken by surprise again, suddenly cracking her riding crop and sending her bulls spinning! One of the beasts' flanks collided with Lancer and sent her hurtling back, but to Tsubaki's relief the blonde knight landed on her feet, having used the side of her lance as a shield, sparks flying up from her armored feet as she skidded backwards.

But Archer's intervention had told Tsubaki something very important. Even with the capability to see the future, Rider could still be surprised! That meant her foresight couldn't be something that was constantly active. If it was, she would have foreseen exactly how Archer was going to attack. If it wasn't constantly active… did that mean she still had to be suspecting something? That she had to activate her foresight ability consciously? It would make sense. When fighting a single opponent, Rider knew they were going to act! So she could look into the future to see exactly what they were going to do! But another enemy attacking unexpected…

To be frank, Tsubaki didn't think this battle would be the one where they would defeat Rider, even with Archer's assistance. But if she could regroup with Ai and Saber, and tell them about the way they could bypass Rider's ability to see the future, how they could take her off guard…!

They could win!

But first, they had to get out of this fight!

At the moment, Rider had taken to the air again, blasting beams of magical energy from her crown down towards the fleeing Archer. Every once in a while, the gunslinging Servant would fire several shots at the pink-haired Servant, but the Queen of Connacht was adept at using the thick wooden frame of her chariot as a barrier, to prevent a single bullet from striking her or her bulls. Lancer was sprinting along belong, tracing the movements of the chariot. Whenever she attempted to depart, Rider sent a beam of mana towards her or slammed down with the hooves of her bulls, making it difficult to bid a retreat or regroup.

Suddenly, Lancer turned, placed one foot on the side of the next building, and kicked up, sending herself hurtling into the air! She was aiming right for Medb's chariot, from below! Even if Medb was capable of seeing this, could she really dodge the attack at the speeds her was traveling at!?

Rider suddenly swerved wildly, but even with her evasion, Tsubaki could see it! Lancer's weapon scarring the wood on the side of Queen Medb's chariot! Even if it wasn't serious damage, she'd actually managed to land a hit!

But it wasn't likely such a tactic would work again. Tsubaki was well aware of the fact that the attack, no matter how impressive it had been, was a failure. Lancer had only damaged the side of the chariot, and it was hardly serious. On top of that, Rider was going to be far more careful, now.

She had to come up with some kind of escape plan!

Tsubaki couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. Every moment, it seemed as if Rider's attacks were getting more and more dangerously close to Lancer, the hooves or wheels of her chariot just barely scraping past her, those beams of mana tearing through the air far too closely for comfort. And yet… Archer almost seemed to be trying to guide the fight. If he'd been trying to fight, why would he have kept moving further and further away? But if he'd been trying to flee, why would he keep stopping to fire on the chariot? It didn't add up… unless…

Was he trying to lure Rider into a trap? If Rider herself was caught up in fighting her two opponents, it was possible she wouldn't be able to look into the future as accurately. Tsubaki didn't know if this was the case, but it did seem as if she was more focused on attacking the other two Servants, as if she was indeed unable to notice the possibility of being lured into a trap. If that was the case, just what kind of trap was Archer heading for? She couldn't think of anything that would pose a serious threat to Rider unless it was a direct attack.

So far, she'd proven adept at those. But if a trap was sprung, it would give them an opportunity to retreat and regroup, wouldn't it? Tsubaki wasn't exactly sure if retreating would play to Lancer's sensibilities, but at the same time she couldn't see a path to victory in the fight as it was. If they teamed up with Saber and Ai, however…

But she had to wait until the right moment, when it was clear Rider wouldn't be able to prevent them from escaping. And she had to hope Lancer would be willing to take a chance to regroup!

Rider had now reached a fairly distant building. It was like she was playing with her opponents, forcing them to pay attention to her or else she could attack them as they attempted to flee. At least, that was the case with Lancer. Archer was doing his best to keep the Queen of Connacht's attention. But where was this trap meant to be sprung?

Suddenly, a blur leaped through the air! Tsubaki could barely tell what it was, but when the figure landed on the chariot she could finally realize just who was intervening. It was Assassin! Assassin had joined the fight? Was this Archer's plan from the start, to lure Rider into a position from which Assassin could ambush her?! Did that mean that the two Servants were now allies?

And yet…

Narrowing her eyes, Medb managed to deflect a blow from Assassin's katana with her whip. Before the mask-wearing Servant could respond, the pink-haired Rider's foot snapped out into a kick, striking Assassin in the side and sending her hurtling back to the rooftop!

"Lancer!" called Tsubaki. Rider was distracted… now seemed like the best chance they could get. Indeed, the blonde knight was swift to understand just what her Master's intentions were, and turned while Medb was distracted to sprint to the tanned girl's side.

"… A clever plan, but…" Medb grinned, "Assassin, shouldn't your clash with Saber have taught you just how outmatched you are in a fight against the other Servants? You should have fled the moment you didn't get a surprise attack against me~ Or did you think I didn't know what you were planning?"

"Master, as much as I hate to admit it, I don't believe that now is-"

"I know, Lancer," responded Tsubaki, cutting her Servant off, "With her abilities, I don't think this is a fight we can win! But if we regroup with Saber…"

Lancer nodded. To Tsubaki's surprise, she suddenly felt herself lifted into the air in Lancer's arms. She couldn't see how the fight between the other three Servants was proceeding any longer, but she could feel the wind whipping past her. And she could hear it… the gunshots, the bellows of Rider's enormous bulls. She couldn't imagine they would win, but she also wasn't certain if they could escape the fight. By this point, Tsubaki felt certain that their best bet was fighting Rider with both Lancer and Saber. Berserker, too, could likely have defeated her, but there was no way she could rely on a chance like that!

"… I… am uncertain how I feel about bidding such a retreat. It does not feel like a battle with honor…" commented Lancer, with a sigh, "However… there is no way to deny that our allegiance with Saber is our best option."

Lancer's brow furrowed with anger.

"Exploiting an ability to see into the future… It's infuriating, Master," she continued, "Every single blow a near miss… even when I damaged her chariot it was insignificant. It felt almost as if she was allowing me to meet success, as if she was taunting me."

Taunting her…? Did that mean that Medb had been aware of the trap the whole time, and had followed along just for the sake of teasing Archer and Assassin? But at the same time, it was obvious that Rider had been surprised by Archer's initial ambush.

The sounds of battle were fading away. Medb wasn't following them, thankfully. She was definitely caught up in the fight with Archer and Assassin, even if the battle was leaning in her favor. Even if Archer got enough range, could he bypass her future sight? And in Assassin's case, her martial capabilities were low, bolstered by various tricks. She'd heard about it from Ai. Since her initial surprise attack had failed…

Tsubaki didn't believe an outcome where Archer and Assassin defeated Rider was likely. At the same time, she didn't know exactly what Archer could do…

"… Lancer, I could tell. When Archer fired those initial shots, she wasn't expecting them," said Tsubaki, "That means her future sight can't possibly be active at all times!"

"I noticed as well," responded Lancer, nodding, and finally placing Tsubaki back on her own two feet, "She must have to consciously activate her foresight, so it's far easier to use against a single opponent. As for Archer and Assassin's attempt at a trap… it was clear to me that was his intent, so she must have realized as well and looked ahead to see what would happen."

This was the only explanation that Tsubaki could consider as well. It's the only thing that explained Rider's behavior in that fight. But at the same time, it meant that a trap could certainly work against Rider, as long as she didn't suspect it. This was their path to victory, the tanned magus could feel it!

"Lancer, tomorrow we're going to meet Ai-san and Saber," said Tsubaki, straightening as she turned away from her Servant.

They had to make a plan.

They had to defeat Rider.

* * *

As Ai and Saber departed from Alys's home, she smiled, and waved to them. Ahhh… it had been so nice to have guests over! Even if they were usually her enemies, and even if sometimes things were kind of scary, they'd been really nice! She felt a little bad that Saber was doomed, but maybe she'd be willing to surrender next time they fought…

The little girl nodded to herself.

That was just how it had to be! Then she could make sure it was nice and quick…

Berserker was great at killing things quickly, because he was so big and strong! Even if he wasn't physical right now, it was still comforting to feel how close he was. Even when Alys was so scared, after that explosion by the forest, he'd been there to make sure she was all right. Someone big and strong like Berserker would make sure nobody could hurt her!

He was even responding to her thoughts right now… his mind wasn't in a condition where he was able to form many coherent words, but at the same time she could feel this sort of… protectiveness from him. He wanted to keep her safe and win! Berserker was the best! The only one stronger had to have been the one Illyasviel summoned…

At least there was no denying her Berserker was the strongest Servant in this war! Even if it was a fake war!

Alys's smile grew, and she turned away from the door. Behind her, one of her maids swiftly closed it. It was kind of funny, seeing people walk by with no idea what was there… the bounded field she had established was doing its job perfectly! The mansion was invisible, no-one would know it was there and no-one would ever suspect anything was there! Even other magi seemed to be unable to locate her home, just as she'd planned!

"Hehehe~" the pale little girl giggled to herself, "It was funny, wasn't it?"

She was speaking with her maids, and with Berserker. Even if they were unlikely to respond, they were still there for her to talk to!

"Matsushita looked so confused when she saw my mansion!" she declared. Of course, Berserker wasn't going to say anything, but the nearest of her maids smiled faintly and nodded. Given their nature, her maids naturally looked nearly identical to one another, but she knew she could tell them apart.

Ivyrette, the maid who had smiled, had the largest bust of all her maids, so that made it even easier than the rest!

"Of course, ojou-sama," said Ivyrette, "It is further proof that your bounded field was successful."

Alys's expression brightened even more. Maybe after the war, she could be friends with Matsushita! That would be fine, wouldn't it? Sure, she had to kill Saber, but if it was nice and painless that didn't mean they couldn't be friends after the war, right? Even if it had been a true Holy Grail War, it was only to be expected that Servants would perish, and Berserker was going to win.  
Alys was sure of it.

But tonight… ah, her crimson eyes were feeling a little heavy now… It had been a fairly busy last few days, after all. She didn't really want to go to bed, but she had to be in tip-top shape to win the war…

"Are you tired, ojou-sama?" asked Ivyrette, approaching the white-haired little girl.

"… A little… but I'm not ready to go to bed just yet!" Alys insisted. She'd had Matsushita and Saber over for a long time, but that didn't mean she was too tired yet! She had to take a bath at least before she went to bed, anyway… but that wasn't all. She was supposed to go out every night and try to find one of the enemy Servants to kill, after all. It wasn't always successful, and they'd always managed to escape before Berserker could finish them off so far, but still!

Suddenly, Alys yawned again. Ah… was she more tired then she thought she was? But she had to go out hunting tonight, she hadn't yet… the old man had told her just how important it was. Everyone had. This Grail War was wrong, so it had to be destroyed… But she was suddenly feeling kind of sleepy. She hadn't slept that much last night, really, given how scared she'd been after that explosion… Berserker had been on guard the whole time.

"… Are you certain, ojou-sama?" questioned Ivyrette, again, stepping closer to the little girl, "You did not sleep well the previous night, and your wakefulness is quite important to your success in the war. I do not want to see you attempt to fight while exhausted."

"But… I'm supposed to go out again today," protested Alys, with a frown, "It's really important, isn't it? I have to make sure I don't miss any chances… And Berserker will protect me!"

"That may be," responded Ivyrette, "But Berserker also relies on your support in combat. If you fall asleep, he has to protect you and focus on the enemy at the same time."

"Well… Berserker is the strongest Servant in this war!" insisted Alys, pouting. Even if she fell asleep, he'd be fine, wouldn't he? He was big, and strong! … Of course, deep down, there was some small part of the white-haired girl that was aware that it was foolish to fight in a situation in which you could pass out… But to be honest, she was trying to use it as an excuse not to go to bed immediately. She wanted to stay up and plan a little more, that was all…

That should have been fine, right? After all, the faster she won, the faster the whole war would be dealt with. The faster all this… wrongness would be over! And it would prove just how strong Berserker was! There was no way he would ever lose! This was something that Alys was certain of!

And yet… ah, she did feel kind of groggy… It wasn't enough to put her out of the action though, right? No, of course it wasn't! But… well… she did kind of want to take a bath after all, it wasn't as if taking a bath was the same as admitting that she was sleepy, anyway. This was something Alys was completely sure of. Even if she did want to go take a nice bath that really didn't mean anything!

"… But I might be open to taking a nice bath," she said, eventually, "It doesn't mean I'm admitting defeat, I just want to be nice and clean!"

"Of course, ojou-sama," replied Ivyrette with a smile, "There's no way you would succumb when you don't want to."

"Exactly!" declared Alys, proudly, "I'm invulnerable to exhaustion!"

Alys knew she wasn't, but it felt like the right thing to say. Still, the white-haired little girl swiftly began to head towards the baths. Her mansion's bath took up almost the entire room, magecraft put in place to ensure that it was always warm and clean. She wouldn't have accepted anything less than that, after all! Her maids always helped her wash up, as well…

Berserker, helpfully, stayed out of the bath. He was the best, but he was still a man, and that meant it was really weird to have him in the bath with her maids and everything!

As she was cleaned up, Alys's mind wandered to a few different matters. Her next steps in the war would… well, basically she had to simply take out any Servants she came across! She'd think up a strategy when she saw her next opponent. Berserker was so strong that it didn't really matter what happened, she could just send him to destroy whatever enemies he came up against.

Berserker was so strong…

… But at first, she didn't like him at all. When he'd first appeared… she'd never felt anything like it. There was this sudden, enormous weight on her entire body, the weight of supporting a Servant like Berserker. It had hurt. It had been painful. She'd never experienced anything like it before. Her entire body felt like it was burning from the inside out, her magic circuits felt like they were on fire. It was a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before.

So at first Alys hated him. She hated him because of how much he made her hurt.

She didn't want to be anywhere near him for a while. She wanted to get rid of him and summon a different Servant, someone who wouldn't make her hurt. The pain had faded quickly, but at the same time it had been quite a strong first impression and absolutely a negative one. He even looked unpleasant, an enormous, hulking monster who didn't speak, but instead let out massive roars like some kind of beast. She didn't want to see him anymore. She didn't want to fight in the Holy Grail War with a beast.

Alys tried to tell the old man, but he refused to hear it. He wouldn't tolerate her feelings about Berserker.

Alys had begun to wonder if she could use her command seals to make her Servant kill himself. If it was this far before the war, then they could summon someone else just fine, right? Someone who wasn't a big, scary monster who had made her hurt.

And then…

Not long before she was to travel to Japan, while she was considering using a command seal, the window to her room had suddenly shattered. At the time it had been hard to understand what was happening, when the cold wind and the snow suddenly came rushing into her bedroom and there had been someone there. Someone had penetrated the bounded field around the Einzbern Castle. She hadn't understood what was occurring at the time, or how such a thing was even possible. But she remembered they were clutching a knife.

But then they were gone.

There was a splatter of blood across the wall and the broken window. The figure that had come into her room, had broken the window, had raised a knife… faster then they'd appeared, they were gone.

Berserker was there. One of his golden axes was dripping with blood.

Alys remembered staring, wordlessly, as the ice and cold blew into the room. She hadn't called for him, she hadn't even said a word. He'd come without her asking, to protect her. He was the only one who had ever stepped forward to do such a thing in her life. She could see his huge, strong figure, as he stepped forward to shield her from the cold.

And then he'd turned to her, to make sure she was unharmed. He'd reached down to look at her arm, which she hadn't realized had been cut by a shard of glass. There wasn't really anything he could do to help heal her, but she could handle that herself.

He wasn't a beast, after all, was he? He'd stepped into protect her on his own the moment that someone had threatened her… Even if he looked scary, he still had the heart of a man and a sense of loyalty, a sense of care, didn't he?

He wasn't a monster at all.

Later, the old man had mentioned something about the weakening of the bounded field being concerning, but that they had to ensure she put a stop to the false Holy Grail War in Minami City no matter what else happened.

And so she had been sent to participate. With her guardian, Berserker. The man who would forge her path to victory, who would never fail to protect her and keep her safe.

She no longer feared and hated him. Knowing he was close by made her feel like nothing could ever harm her.

By this point, Alys's soft, white hair had been cleaned, and so had the rest of her. Her maids swiftly ushered her out of the bath, and they were quick to get her dried off as well.

At this point, the pale little girl didn't even protest when she was dressed in her rather fluffy nightgown and nightcap. The warm water had been really relaxing… maybe she could just lie down for a bit! Yeah, that would be fine… she could lie down with Berserker watching over her. She could feel nice and safe, even with one of those other Masters she didn't know about tried to hurt her again. Berserker would take care of them. As long as he was there, nothing would go wrong.

As she made her way up the stairs, Alys yawned again, placing her hand near her mouth. Yeah, she'd just rest a little…

And then, when they arrived at her bedroom, the maids left. The moonlight was streaming in, but all the lights were off. As she approached her bed, golden light seemed to coalesce behind her, forming Berserker's enormous body… this was one of the few rooms tall enough to contain his massive form. She wanted him to appear physically, here, and he knew that.

"Good work, Berserker," Alys said with a smile, turning to the enormous-dark skinned man as she did, "You'll watch over me tonight, too?"

Berserker inclined his head, acknowledging her words as he always did. He'd stood guard over her every night. His presence alone was enough to make sure she had a good night's sleep, most of the time… Thought Alys hadn't been able to sleep very well the previous night. Not after what happened at the forest. But tonight she felt safe again…

Smiling to herself, confidently, the little girl climbed into her large, fluffy bed. Her arms wrapped around a nearby stuffed horse toy, one of her favorites, and she held it against herself. Of course, she was only going to rest for a while. She wasn't going to sleep yet. She had a lot of important things to do!

Yeah… Alys's eyes felt heavy, but she was only going to let them rest for a little bit, not actually go to sleep…

So it was clearly completely unexpected when the little girl fell asleep, hugging her soft horse toy against herself, with her enormous Servant watching over her, keeping an eye on the windows and doors.

For her, at the moment, everything was right with the world. She didn't have any worries, and she knew that she would win.

Nothing bad would happen to her. She'd win for sure.

At least, that's what she thought.

* * *

Outside of the mansion, Ivyrette and two other maids were now on guard duty at the side of their mistress's home. The mysterious presence that Berserker had detected had set all the maids on high alert. They were created with the purpose of protecting and assisting their mistress, after all, and while Berserker was certainly enough to ensure that no harm came to her while she slept, that didn't mean that they would remain idle and leave everything to the Servant. They were not simply created only for the purposes of serving as maids, after all. Every single one of Alysvial's maids were made to be her bodyguards as well as perform mundane chores.

But acting in the name of the defense of her mistress was absolutely a duty that Ivyrette accepted with great joy. It was not as if she showed it, but certainly she cared for the young girl that was Alysvial von Einzbern. Even if her entire purpose in life was simply to facilitate the Einzbern Master's victory, she would still take pleasure in such actions.

Alongside her were two of her fellow maids. Nearly identical to herself in appearance, though there were some difference in their physiques, but that was to be expected from homunculi of their nature. They had effectively been mass-produced for the sake of winning this war as Alysvial's support.

The first of the two maids was Velvie, one of the younger maids, the most recently-created out of the homunculi in service of Alysvial. The other was Lysvil, who was only elder to Velvie by being the second to last of the homunculi to be created. Just as Ivyrette herself, they had been created as bodyguards, with combat skills sufficient to halt most enemies. Even with the absence of Berserker, they would be able to handle most threats short of an attack by, well, Servants. But even in that case, Berserker would not be unaware, would he?

"Ivyrette, how was mistress?" asked Lysvil, glancing towards the elder maid as she did, "She seemed tired to me, was she feeling well?"

Ivyrette nodded, giving a small smile.

"She seemed far more relaxed then she did yesterday," responded Ivyrette. She had been quite concerned for Alysvial on the previous day. She was clearly very shaken and refused to discuss what had occurred during her outing. In fact, once she had entered her room, she had not come out until the next morning, and it was clear she had not slept particularly well. Thankfully, however, it seemed as if the meeting with Saber's Master had done her good, which was unexpected. Why did meeting one of the enemy Masters make Alysvial feel better?

Regardless of the reasoning, Ivyrette was glad to see the diminutive white-haired girl was in a better mood.

"I'm glad," replied Lysvil, "I was concerned, it would do her no good if she had another night of difficult sleep. Her duties are important, but her wellbeing cannot be forgotten either."

Indeed. Alysvial's purpose was to bring an end to this false Holy Grail War, but that did not mean she should simply forget about her own health. The maids were there to care for her in every aspect, after all, not simply to fulfill the duty of ensuring she ended this fake war. Indeed, if it came to be a matter of Alysvial's life or the completion of her duty, Ivyrette would choose the former every time, no matter what. She was absolutely certain she was not alone among the maids in this sentiment.

"… For our mistress. For tomorrow's meal. Eggs benedict," came Velvie's stilted voice. The maid's youth had resulted in her own ego suffering a disconnect from her consciousness. As a result, her ability to express her emotions, and to speak, was stunted until the disconnect resolved itself. Still, she tended to exhibit a desire to attempt to cook for Alysvial. "Is… this… permissible?"

"Of course, Velvie," responded Ivyrette. There was no need to decline the offer. Velvie, after all, was just as capable when it came to household chores as every one of them was. Unlike homunculi who had been created with more time spent on their individuality, even with the differences in personality their capabilities were largely identical. Unfortunately, this meant their capabilities in magecraft were all equally low. The most they could manage was self-reinforcement to a degree sufficient for the defense of their mistress.

Beyond that, their abilities were quite simply insufficient to be considered magi in their own right.

In Ivyrette's opinion, however, this was largely irrelevant to their duties. Provided they could give Alysvial the service that she required, nothing else mattered. Besides, on a night like this, the air was pleasant and warm, and intrusion was doubtful.

… Mostly.

Admittedly, the presence that Alysvial had reported Berserker detecting was concerning. Ivyrette knew Servants could detect the presence of other Servants, which made it undeniable that the thing that Berserker had detected was an enemy Servant. This strongly suggested that one of the enemies, aside from Matsushita Ai and her Servant, was now aware of the hidden location of Alysvial's mansion. The biggest question in Ivyrette's mind was how this was possible.

The bounded field concealing Alysvial's home was established by Alysvial herself, via formulas based on the field that concealed the Einzbern castle. Naturally, the resultant spell could not have functioned as an impenetrable snowstorm, but it could utilize a similar theory in order to hide the mansion from prying eyes. Only those with permission to view the structure and enter it would be allowed. In theory, Alysvial could shut out even her maids.

It wasn't that Ivyrette couldn't understand how a Servant would be capable of doing such a thing. Rather, she was struggling to understand how they could come to the conclusion that this was a location that required investigation in the first place. Was it due to the mana being utilized to keep the field in place? If that was the reason, why had the Servant neglected to attack? Was it because of Berserker and Saber's presence at the time?

And which Servant was it? These were all questions plaguing Ivyrette's mind. Deep down, she knew the maids probably couldn't handle an attack by an enemy Servant. Even if they could achieve the strength of some of the physically less powerful servants via the use of reinforcement, the fact remained that they could not match their other capabilities. As a result, it would fall to Berserker to defeat an enemy Servant, but at the same time… allowing such an intruder to reach Alysvial's room… it didn't sit well with the white-haired maid. Perhaps if they worked as a team… Then maybe…

"Is something the matter, Ivyrette?" came Lysvil's voice, cutting straight through Ivyrette's thoughts. Realizing she must have been showing just how it was she was feeling, she glanced towards the other two maids. Both Velvie and Lysvil were staring at her with their identical crimson eyes. Ah, even the other maids had noticed her behavior? Quickly, the elder maid shook her head, in order to assuage both maids' concern. She didn't need them to be distracted from their duties by concern for her, after all. That would do them no good if the worst came to pass, and they had to fight to defend Alysvial.

"Condition?" asked Velvie.

"I'm fine, Lysvil, Velvie," Ivyrette insisted, waving her hand as she spoke, "It's nothing you need to be worried about. I was simply lost in my own thoughts."

It was hardly a lie, after all. Still… it was hard to shake her concerns.

"… Ivyrette. Lysvil. Listen," said Velvie, suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she turned towards the nearby trees. Ivyrette froze. The younger maid had certainly heard something… there would be no reason for her to lie, after all. Indeed, lying was not a capability they had been intended to display.

The three maids fell dead silent as they attempted to detect just what it was that Velvie had asked them to listen to. For a few moments, all Ivyrette could hear was the beating of her own heart. She had never fought before, though it was one of the actions she had been created to perform. And if it was an enemy Servant…

But at first, she heard nothing. For a scant few moments she relaxed. Perhaps Velvie had made some kind of mistake, assumed that there was an enemy where there was not one. The young, inexperienced maid could have jumped to the wrong conclusion, could she not?

And then, Ivyrette heard it. The white-haired maid's ears detected the sound of something rapping against wood, as if something was adjusting its position against the branches of a tree… Something large enough to be the same size as a person.

"… Lysvil, Velvie, your weapons," Ivyrette said, simply. On cue, both maids drew their weapons. Lysvil, a pair of daggers the length of her lower arm, and Velvie a large axe. They were mystic codes, simple ones, designed to create the form of a weapon and nothing more. Ivyrette drew her own weapon, a sword of a similar nature, as she took a deep breath.

If the enemy was a Servant, they could not hope to defeat them. This was something the maid was painfully aware of. But if they could stall for a moment, until Berserker responded… then perhaps…!

The figure descended.

In the instant before it struck, it was possible for Ivyrette to take in a few details of the attacker. Their body was mostly cloaked, making it difficult to discern their physique. In one hand, they wielded a blade, flashing too quickly to determine its make. But the most notable feature of the enemy was what adorned their face. It was a mask, the white fox masks known among the Japanese. There was no mistaking it for anything else.

The enemy landed.

Ivyrette, Lysvil, and Velvie advanced.

Steel met steel, and then…

* * *

And then Alysvial was jolted awake. For a few moments, in the darkness, she wasn't sure what was going on. She didn't understand what had awakened her. Her mind swam, and she blinked her crimson eyes open and shut several times as she tried to awaken herself. She'd heard something strange, like the sound of a scream, or… of metal? Her brain swam in a sea of sleep for a few moments before she was able to clear her thoughts.

"Berserker… I heard something…" she said, rubbing her eyes, "… Take me downstairs…?"

One of those great, dark hands gently lifted the little girl from the bed, and lifted her to Berserker's shoulder.

The large window opened. It was big enough for Berserker to fit through, if he crouched. The night air was against Alysvial's skin… and then rushing past her like a whirlwind as they leaped from the top floor of the mansion. The huge man crashed to the earth, but the impact didn't even slightly shake the white-haired little girl. No, it felt like she had simply jumped from her bed.

Alysvial rubbed her eyes blearily, trying to clear her mind.

And that was when she saw just what had happened.

The body of one of her maids lay against the house. The maid's throat had been slashed open, blood sprayed across the wall as she lay there limply, the light that had once been in her eyes completely gone. After a moment of horror, Alysvial realized it was Lysvil, the second youngest of the maids that had been created for her.

"… L… Lysvil…?"

She couldn't understand. Who had done this? Why? Lysvil hadn't done anything wrong, she had just been a maid, she'd just helped, that's all she did, it's all she'd wanted to do, why…

But Lysvil's death wasn't all.

Beside Lysvil stood Ivyrette. She was still alive, but she was clutching her abdomen, clearly having been stabbed. Blood stained her white uniform.

"O-ojou-sama… there… was an attack… Lysvil…" Ivyrette's breathing was ragged as she knelt beside the dead maid.

Velvie, the youngest of her maids, stood missing her right arm. Her normally expressionless face was displaying the slightest hint of pain, and yet she still managed to look towards Alysvial as she clutched at the stump that remained of her arm.

"… Ojou-sama. Lysvil. She is dead," said the maid, averting her eyes as she spoke. Even with the difficulty she had expressing herself, it wasn't difficult to understand her feelings.

Sorrow and horror gripped Alysvial's heart. All of her maids… all of them lived to serve her. They had never done anything wrong. They had never disobeyed her or anything like that at all. Everything they had done was everything they were meant to do.

And yet one of them lay dead… why? It wasn't… it wasn't fair…

Who… who had done this…?

"… Who… who killed her…?" the pale little girl asked, her voice wavering as she struggled to hold back tears.

"… Identity unknown…" responded Velvie, still looking away and clutching at what remained of her missing arm.

"… I-it… it was a… a masked killer… a fox mask with a sword…" answered Ivyrette, breathing heavily, "They leapt down from the tree…"

A fox mask and a sword…?

There was only one culprit Alysvial knew of who fit such a description. The fact that Berserker had failed to detect the presence of a Servant even after the attack had begun, or the fact that the culprit had fled without advancing even after killing and disabling the three maids on guard, were unable to push through the rage burning in Alysvial's heart.

"Berserker… We'll kill them!" cried Alysvial.

The hulking man roared.

"We'll kill Assassin!"

* * *

Ai's morning had gone mostly as usual. Even after the strangeness of the previous day, that didn't really affect the next. For once, there hadn't even been much of a fight. It was surprising, and it made the small girl wonder if there was something going on that she wasn't privy to. Had there been a battle or something like that? Or was it just a quiet night for once? She felt somewhat thankful regardless of the reasoning, having a relatively normal day for once was something she'd missed. Even if it involved… learning all that about Alysvial…

Maybe normal was the wrong way to think of it. Alysvial had said… so much, about her own life and about the way she thought about the war. Ai didn't believe that this war was false. She couldn't even understand what the little girl meant by that. But she believed that Alysvial thought it was false, and that's why she was participating. To end something she thought was wrong, even if she didn't truly know why. It made the idea of fighting Berserker… more difficult, in her mind. She didn't know what to do about it, no matter how much she thought about it. Alysvial's innocence was genuine, but they had to defeat Berserker no matter what. No matter how genuinely innocent the little girl was, it didn't change the fact that her goal was to destroy all the other Servants in the Holy Grail War.

And Berserker was so strong, too…

If Ai was being honest with herself, she didn't know what to do next. She knew that, deep down, relying on just running into the enemy at random was a bad idea. But Tsubaki and Lancer were her allies, there was no way she was going to go after them(and she didn't actually know where Tsubaki's home was anyway), and it felt wrong to go after Berserker after yesterday(not to mention that Alysvial's Servant was so incredibly strong). Other then that, she had no idea where to even begin. Maybe Saber would have some idea of where the other Servants would be setting up base… Given the role she filled in life, it wasn't impossible she might have some thoughts on the matter.

Besides, there was no denying the girl samurai was a better strategist then she was. Even if Ai had been confident in her planning skills, she had never participated in battles or anything of the like prior to the War.

In other words, it was time to have a chat with her Servant.

As was usual for when there were no plans for the day, Saber was in the main hall, taking a position near the door. It was obvious what the reason was this for, Saber had her duties on her mind and was standing guard, just in case anything happened. She was near one of the windows, today, and for a moment Ai stopped in her tracks, blushing. The way the light was hitting her silvery-gold hair…

"Master?"

"Hawawawa!"

Ai practically jumped where she stood, the heat building in her cheeks even more. Ahhh Saber had noticed her just standing and staring!

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" asked her Servant, turning to face her and smiling slightly, "I'll admit, I was getting a little bored just hanging around at the door… er, not that standing guard isn't important too, though!"

"… Eh… eh-heheh…" Ai let out an awkward laugh, "Um… y-yes. I think… I think we might need to try going on the offensive, Saber."

Saber nodded immediately, her expression becoming serious.

"I agree. We can't just rely on running into the enemy at random, after all," responded the platinum blonde swordswoman, "That's no way to win a battle, let alone a war. At some point we're going to have to begin seeking out the enemy."

She paused for a moment.

"Not just because it's a better chance at victory," Saber added, "But to stop them from planning their own offensive. I know it's important for me to keep guard, but I'm much better at offense then defense!"

So Saber had been thinking about it too… it was hardly shocking information to learn. After all, Saber was the kind of person who was familiar with these kinds of situations. Ai knew that if she'd come to a conclusion like this, Saber most likely made the same conclusion long before she did. But they couldn't make any kind of plan if they didn't have any idea where their enemies were.

"D-do you have any idea where they might be?" asked Ai. Saber shook her head.

"I don't think it's going to be so easy to figure out where they might be hiding," she answered, "We only found Caster's final hiding place because she was creating that huge black dome. Caster might have been the best Servant when it came to setting up a base, but I don't doubt the others are keeping their true locations as hidden as possible."

She paused for a moment, thinking it over.

"If I had to guess, Assassin is probably the one who's the most hidden," she continued, "It's not as if she doesn't have any skill, but I know Ranmaru isn't the most suited to fighting up front battles. So her and her Master are probably using a location that's difficult to find. Her Master is probably using some sort of magecraft to make it harder to locate, as well."

It was the kind of assessment that Ai had expected, to be honest. It only made sense that Assassin, who wasn't suited to direct combat, would pick a base of operations that would be difficult to locate. Somewhere where it was difficult to make any kind of direct attack.

"But it's not just Assassin," added Saber, a thoughtful look crossing her face once more, "Archer is from the wild west, isn't he? He's probably an outlaw if that's the case. And his Master was using all kinds of weird tactics, so I'd be surprised if they were somewhere out in the open, too."

Ah… so two out of their four remaining enemies were probably well-hidden? That left Berserker, who she didn't feel comfortable attacking yet and was so incredibly strong, and Rider, who was one of the most powerful Servants in the entire war. They had to be ready to fight them at some point, to be sure. But Ai didn't know how to even begin when it came to taking either of them on, and in Berserker's case it was hard to think about trying to take him out after yesterday…

"But that's not all I want to talk about, Master," Saber said, suddenly, interrupting Ai's thoughts, "There's also the matter of the presence I sensed outside of Alys-chan's mansion."

Oh, that was right… there had been a Servant of some kind outside of the Einzbern girl's Master. There had been so much to think about recently that Ai had nearly forgotten about it. The short brunette found herself cursing her own lack of thought. There was no way to know which of the remaining enemy Servants it had been…

"I know it can't have been Rider," explained Saber, "Because I can't imagine Queen Medb choosing to do something so subtly. So that means it's possible Archer or Assassin were trying to keep an eye on Berserker. Maybe they were even trying to plan out an attack."

"Th-that… that makes sense!" declared Ai, with a nervous nod. Aaaah, there was so much she'd failed to consider… of course it wouldn't have been Rider! Not based off of how the pink-haired Servant behaved so far! But Archer and Assassin were far more suited to subtle spying… but if it was Assassin, why wasn't she using Presence Concealment?

"Um… if it was Assassin, why wouldn't she be using Presence Concealment?" asked Ai, shifting slightly as she spoke. Was it a stupid question? It probably was, but it didn't make any sense to her…

"… You're right… if it wasn't Assassin… then it must have been Archer!" concluded Saber, smiling with an air of triumph, "Mystery accomplished!"

The serious air of the conversation was shattered.

"… Mystery… accomplished?" Ai asked, tilting her head with confusion. Oh, it was cute, that was certain, but… it was also really, really silly… why would it be 'mystery accomplished'?

"Well… because it's an accomplishment involving a mystery," replied Saber, nodding sagely as she spoke, "So instead of mystery solved, it's mystery accomplished!"

For a few moments, Ai was silent. Saber could go from sounding so serious to saying things like that… in spite of everything, for a moment the short magus had to stop herself from giggling at her Servant.

"Well, um… what does that mean, then?" asked Ai, trying to move on, to avoid focusing on such a silly comment.

"If it was Archer, I don't think he's planning on attacking Berserker or his Master right now," answered the girl samurai, "His Master is way too cautious to do something like that when his Servant doesn't have the best capabilities in a direct fight. They'd be more likely to set up an ambush. Archer's speed at drawing his gun would be much better when it comes to something like that. If I had to guess, they were probably keeping tabs on Berserker because of how dangerous he is."

That made sense as well. Archer wasn't exactly a Servant suited to directly battling a monster like Berserker by himself, so it was likely to ensure that Alys wasn't trying anything for the moment. Possibly leading up to some kind of plan to take him on, but nothing serious at the moment.

But there was another matter on Ai's mind.

"… Do you think there's any chance of finding Yumimura-san?" asked the short brunette. She couldn't help it, she'd been thinking about it in the back of her mind ever since Saori was taken by the Atlas alchemist. That was still something that they had to be worried about, both for Yumimura's sake and due to the mystery of the eighth Master of the Holy Grail War. "It… I know it's not something we can dwell on, but it feels wrong to just brush off what happened…"

Saber let out a sigh, her gaze drifting downwards.

"I don't know… maybe if we start looking around we'll find some kind of clues. I hope, at least," she responded, somewhat morosely, "I don't want to forget about Yumimura-san either, but we have to keep moving forward."

Ai knew this was the case, deep down. Dwelling on Yumimura Saori's fate wasn't going to get them anywhere, even when it came to the subject of finding her in the first place. But it was difficult to get it out of her head.

"… Well… we should… try and see if we can meet Rani-san again!" insisted Ai. Rani seemed like a reasonable person, so maybe if things were going well… maybe they would turn out just fine! Deep down she doubted it, but wasn't there a chance…?

"I think that's a good idea," replied Saber, her smile returning, "But it's worth being wary. Even though I don't think she was lying, we can't ignore that she's going to be an eighth Master."

Ai was hardly about to argue with that. The idea of an eighth Master was still a strange mystery… was it possible because Caster was gone, now? What was Atlas intending to accomplish, if they weren't planning on participation in the Holy Grail War? It was so unusual…

Ai's mind wandered further. Saber was so pretty, with the way the light was touching her hair… ah… maybe… maybe she really could try and say it? Try and tell her how she felt? It wasn't… maybe it was time…

"… Th-there's… s-something else I w-want to say, Saber…"

Her Servant opened her mouth, but then cut herself off, her body going rigid for a moment as she glanced out the window.

"There's another Servant approaching."

For a moment, Ai froze, all other thoughts driven from her mind. Another Servant? Approaching her home? But it was in broad daylight! Who would be attacking her in broad daylight?! She hadn't prepared, there were some basic defenses in place that she'd helped to reestablish back when she moved to her family's home, but it wasn't anything that could help to defend against a serious attack by an enemy Servant! Panic gripping her, she looked out the window…

And both Master and Servant relaxed when they saw Tsubaki and Lancer round the corner. Not simply because it meant they weren't about to be attacked, but also because it confirmed that Tsubaki was well. The tan-skinned girl looked fine, wearing her usual t-shirt and shorts, while Lancer walked along beside her wearing a wide straw hat and a white sundress with a black ribbon around her waist.

It was a relief to see Tsubaki on her feet again, and on top of that Ai had wanted to talk to her again as soon as possible anyway. There was no better time to discuss their next moves then when Tsubaki was around. No matter what, it was obvious to Ai that Tsubaki was definitely better prepared than herself. As both the tanned girl and her Servant made their way to the front door, Ai quickly opened it.

"I-Inoue-san! I'm glad to see you're alright!" declared Ai, smiling. But she quickly noticed just how serious Tsubaki looked.

"Ai-san, we need to talk immediately," the black-haired magus insisted as she approached, "It's about Rider."

Rider…? What had happened with Rider? Had they encountered Queen Medb again? That was what it seemed like at least…

Soon enough, Ai had somewhat awkwardly guided her guests to her room. Marianne had been quite overjoyed to see guests, but there hadn't been much time to chat with her given how important this seemed to be.

Ai couldn't help but feel kind of embarrassed letting Tsubaki and Lancer into her room. She wasn't used to having guests around… she felt… silly, to say the least, being so flustered over the situation when they needed to have a serious conversation, but she couldn't help it.

Ai sat on her bed. The fact that Saber sat beside the short brunette magus didn't make this any better, her cheeks flushing immediately. Saber was so close, on her bed, ah…

She shook her head.

She had to focus. She had to stay serious.

"S-so… what happened with Rider?" Ai practically blurted out, quivering slightly as she did. There were certainly better segues.

"Well… do you remember when Saber and Lancer fought Rider, the way that she seemed to be able to move before she knew an attack was happening?" asked Tsubaki.

Before Ai could respond, Saber did.

"I noticed that. Even when I cut off one of her bulls' horns, she was starting to react before I was even able to start attacking," said the silvery-haired swordswoman, "It was more then simply having good instincts, she was reacting so precisely it was almost like she was seeing the future."

"That is because she was," stated Lancer, "It is one of her Noble Phantasms, the ability to accurately read the future."

Ai's eyes widened in shock. That was… how did you fight an ability like that? When someone could look into the future and know your every move, how was it possible to fight them off? But… no, hadn't Rider seemed surprised when Saber managed to cut off one of the bulls' horns?

"She can really see the future?!" exclaimed Saber, "Then that's how she was able to dodge so accurately with an entire chariot…"

"But that's not all," continued Tsubaki, "She's capable of reading the future, but she has to do it consciously."

"So… um…" Ai hesitated for a moment. If she had come to the wrong conclusion, it would sound pretty foolish and wouldn't exactly be helpful to anyone, but… "If that's the case… then it's still possible to take her off-guard?"

Lancer nodded.

"We witnessed her taken by surprise when Archer ambushed her during battle," Lancer elaborated, "I suspect that her capability to read the future is far easier to use in a battle against a single target, or when she has a moment to concentrate between attacks. It is a quick look into her enemy's next actions rather than an extensive record of the progress of the entire battle."

"It's not only that she can be taken off-guard," added Tsubaki, "But someone who can move as fast as Saber can cut the advantage she gets from reading the future! Even if she knows it's coming, she can't react fast enough to counter it. I'm sure that's how Saber was able to cut off one of her bulls' horns. She couldn't react fast enough even knowing she was going to attack!"

Ai could tell Saber was feeling fairly proud of herself, at this point. It was unreal thinking her Servant could move so fast that even reading the future wasn't enough to avoid her attacks. But that was why she was a Servant, wasn't it? Her capabilities were sufficient to be considered a shining pillar of human history.

"So that's how we're going to defeat her!" declared Saber, confidently, "I'll outrun her foresight!"

"It is not as simple as that, Saber," responded Lancer, frowning slightly as she spoke, "She is still able to avoid serious harm, most of the time. We have to make sure that it's difficult for her to respond in a way that allows her to avoid being harmed. We have to destroy her chariot."

Destroy her chariot? But how? Neither Saber nor Lancer could perform the kind of attack that could destroy another Servant's Noble Phantasm, let alone one that was so large. Even those beams that Lancer could fire from her cavalry lance didn't seem strong enough to destroy it in its entirety… Unless there was something more…

"How?" Ai asked, even as she tried to figure out just what method they could use to destroy the incredibly fast, destructive Noble Phantasm that was Queen Medb's chariot.

"There's another ability that Lancer possesses that we haven't mentioned before," Tsubaki replied, "Those blasts of mana she can fire are only part of it. Through her lance, Lancer can utilize an anti-army Noble Phantasm, something destructive enough to annihilate Queen Medb's chariot in a single shot."

Ai's eyes widened. This whole time, Lancer had been able to do something like that? That sort of powerful weapon that she hadn't utilized yet… Tsubaki must have intended to use it as a secret trump card in case anything became too much of a threat for them to handle in any other way.

Just like Rider, for that matter.

"Sh-she really has something like that…?" Ai stammered, still surprised by the revelation. If she truly was Astolfo, that didn't make much sense. Insofar as she knew of the tale of the Paladins of Charlemagne, Astolfo possessed nothing that could result in the existence of a Noble Phantasm of that nature. Certainly, she was aware that some Servants possessed abilities that they did not in life, but that was not the case for all of them, and there still had to be some sort of myth or misconception that would result in the possession of a skill or Noble Phantasm that did not exist in their life. She couldn't think of anything that would explain Astolfo possessing an anti-army Noble Phantasm capable of annihilating something as powerful as Queen Medb's chariot.

"The grace of God granted me a divine light, a powerful attack composed of mana capable of shattering armies and cutting through even the blackest of nights," Lancer stated, with a nod, "There is no doubt in my mind that I can destroy Rider's chariot, as long as she is unable to avoid it."

Ai was beginning to understand, somewhat, what it was that Tsubaki was planning. If they could somehow immobilize Medb's chariot, that would let Lancer destroy it. Even if Medb survived the destruction of her chariot, she'd be less dangerous on foot and was likely not be able to withstand an attack from both Saber and Lancer, even considering her use of Caladbolg.

Rider-class Servants were not personally the most powerful, at least in most cases. Their strength came from their Noble Phantasms. And so, if they were forced into direct combat against two of the Knight classes, Ai could see how they could achieve victory against Queen Medb!

But she was jumping to conclusions, wasn't she? She didn't know for sure what it was Tsubaki had in mind…

"In that case, you're planning on immobilizing Rider's chariot so Lancer can destroy it?" Saber asked, asking the question that Ai had been uncertain of mentioning herself.

"Exactly," Tsubaki responded, a confident smile coming to her lips, "After that, I think Saber has the best chance of defeating Rider afterwards. Lancer is going to have to stay at range in order to attack her by surprise with her Noble Phantasm, so Saber, you would be the one keeping her attention and taking her on after her chariot has been destroyed."

It made enough sense to Ai, at least, but she couldn't help but feel unsure still. While the plan made sense, and it wasn't like it couldn't work, there was still the matter of immobilizing the chariot. The bulls that pulled it were incredibly strong and far beyond mundane beasts, capable of flight and causing massive amounts of destruction. She wasn't sure how it would be possible to stop such an enormously destructive Noble Phantasm. They would have to find some way to trap the bulls' legs, or the wheels of the chariot, if only for a moment. But she didn't know of the Trap of Argalia would be a good choice for a fight like this, especially since that would make it clear they were planning something immediately.

"If that's the case, then how are we going to make sure that her chariot can't move?" Ai asked.

"That's something we've been trying to figure out," replied Tsubaki, "The Trap of Argalia isn't going to be useful here. She already knows about it and at long range it's not going to be effective, and on top of that it'll alert Medb to Lancer's intent."

"So we need to do something that won't make her think she needs to use her foresight, then?" asked Saber, cocking her head to one side as she tried to think of a possible plan for halting the chariot.

"… Maybe… um…" Ai hesitated. She wasn't certain if her plan even began to make any kind of sense. Certainly, the chariot was destructive, but it still had to roll over the ground or travel through the sky to move. Even if it dug ruts into the concrete, that didn't mean it could instantly destroy even the earth beneath it. At least, that's what the short brunette hoped could be the case. "Maybe… if we can trap the wheels, or the bulls' legs in some kind of pit. Even if it didn't last long, as long as it traps her so she can't escape Lancer's Noble Phantasm…"

"So something like carving out the earth in front of her?" asked Tsubaki, "Do you think that could work, Lancer?"

"Hm… I believe it would take a her a few moments to break free and carve her way from the hole," responded the blonde knight, with a nod, "If I time it correctly, I could destroy her chariot from a distance while she attempts to escape from the trap. But how do you propose we carve out such a trap for her without her notice?"

"I can handle that!" declared Saber, with confidence, "If I'm already fighting her, it would only make sense that some of my attacks would miss, wouldn't it?"

So Saber's idea was to carve a hole into the earth, unnoticed, as she fought Rider? It sounded risky, but… Saber's attacks were also very precise. Could she cut a hole in the earth without arousing Rider's suspicions? That was the most important question. If Rider used her foresight to see what Saber was trying to do, she'd immediately understand just what was going on and what could happen if she did not evade immediately. Their entire plan hinged on ensuring she didn't use her capability to peer into the future, at least not before it didn't matter.

"Are you sure you are capable of doing that without Rider's realization, Saber?" asked Lancer, leaning somewhat towards the platinum blonde Servant.

"Of course," insisted Saber, "If her entire strategy is to look into the future to avoid any attack, then I'll attack her directly and force her to dodge. As long as I can make sure I attack her in the same location enough times, I'll be able to make it look like Rider is my target, rather then cutting a trench into the earth."

Saber nodded firmly to herself.

"If she survives the initial attack, her chariot will still be destroyed, so there's no doubt in my mind that I can defeat her!"  
Saber's confidence in herself helped to give Ai some hope. At least, a little bit. But there was another factor in this plan to defeat Medb that hadn't yet been discussed.

"Of course, Lancer's Noble Phantasm's power comes with a drawback," explained Tsubaki, her hands on her lap, "Normally I'd be excited about how destructive it is, but if we fire it in the town there's a high risk of collateral damage. We need to find somewhere to fight Rider where that won't be an issue."

It wasn't exactly unexpected. The firepower required to destroy a Noble Phantasm like that had to be incredibly high, so there was no doubt in Ai's mind that something like a simple building would never survive it. They couldn't risk anyone else being caught up in the battle, especially when such powerful attacks were being utilized.

"… In that case, maybe the clearing near the forest, where we met before attacking Caster?" Saber offered. To Ai, at least, that seemed like as good a location as any to attempt to defeat Queen Medb. There wasn't anything that could get caught up in an anti-army attack, aside from the forest itself. While destroying a huge swath of trees wasn't exactly ideal, given how noticeable it would be, it was a lot less noticeable then destroying a building.

"I can't think of anywhere else that would be better," said Tsubaki, "There's nothing around there but the forest, so there's no risk of harming innocent people. But we need some kind of bait to get her there."

"Hmmm… there has to be something she must want…" mused Saber. It was almost like a scene right out of some sort of comedy. Even Ai found her eyes drifting towards her Servant at this point. It was hard to ignore the fact that, the last time they had met, Rider expressed such an interest in Saber. The memory of the pink-haired Queen's reaction to the girl samurai's display of skill still felt fresh enough in the small brunette's mind to make her blush.

"… Saber, we think the promise of some sort of battle with you might be able to get her there," suggested Tsubaki.

"Eh? Because… of…" Saber shifted somewhat awkwardly, clearly embarrassed at the memory herself, "The way she reacted when we fought?"

"That is exactly the reason," replied Lancer, "While I would normally be in favor of more honorable tactics… I believe that Rider's capabilities force this sort of deception. Master, would you like to explain the idea you proposed?"

"Well…" Tsubaki took a deep breath, "It's clear that she wants you, Saber. She would like Lancer, too, but she's most interested in you. So… promise to fight her with the stakes being your unconditional surrender. Tell her that you'll do anything for her if she wins. Make yourself the prize."

That… the thought of that was kind of embarrassing, but Ai could already see how it might work. In life, Queen Medb had been someone driven primarily by her desires. So if she saw something she desired within her reach, wouldn't she reach for it? It was possible it might make her less wary. Such an offer had to be difficult for someone like Medb to resist. But… well, it all depended on if Saber was willing to do it. It wasn't as if she could be blamed for objecting, but at the same time it was hard to think of another way to get Rider to go where they needed her to be.

It wasn't as if Ai couldn't understand desiring Saber, anyway…

"I… if…" Saber hesitated for a moment. She seemed a bit uncertain about making such an offer, but at the same time… it did seem like their best chance at getting Rider to go where they needed to be. "… I… I won't lose, so it's not as if that matters!"

Even though she seemed somewhat embarrassed, the girl samurai's confident smile had returned.

"I'll give her the conditions and the location, so… so there's no doubt in my mind she'll go exactly where we need her to be!"

"I h-hope so, at least…" commented Ai, unable to help her own concerns. Even if Saber's self-confidence helped somewhat, there still seemed to be a lot that could go wrong in this plan. But at the same time, it didn't look like they had any other chance against Rider. While her abilities were maybe not completely insurmountable, though extremely powerful, the fact was that when they were combined with the capability to see into the future it became very difficult to figure out any other options. Removing her chariot was completely necessary.

And this looked like their best chance to do it.

"Don't worry, Ai-san," Tsubaki said, with a smile, "It might seem risky, but I'm confident in Lancer, and you should be plenty confident in Saber, right? I think the both of them have shown us plenty of reason to believe in them."

"Ah…"

Ai did believe in Saber… Saber's skills were incredible! They would have been impossible to believe, if she hadn't seen her Servant fight with her own eyes. Even as someone who lived in the world of the uncommon, the short magus had never even thought of seeing something like a battle between Servants.

"I know she does!" declared Saber with confidence, snapping Ai out of her thoughts and brightly smiling as she spoke, "There's not a single doubt in my mind that Ai believes in me!"

"Th… that's right! I… I know Saber can win!" Ai found herself saying. Some small part of her was insisting that 'can' was not the same as 'will'. There couldn't be any guarantees in a war like this, and Rider was such a powerful Servant… but it was still possible. It was their best option to seize victory against a Servant like Rider, too…

"Then it's settled… I'll go home and make a few more preparations," said Tsubaki, with a firm nod, rising to her feet. Lancer swiftly followed. "Then we'll meet as soon as possible. From there, we'll launch our plan!"

As she turned towards the door to leave, however, the tanned girl paused for a moment. She looked back over her shoulder, her cheerful behavior suddenly fading.

"… And… if you can find any clues about where Saori-san was taken… please… please tell me, Ai-san," she said.

"… Of course, Inoue-san," Ai responded. She didn't need to be told, after what she'd seen. It was already her plan from the start. She wanted to find out where the girl had gone too. But there was the fact that they also had to handle the Grail War itself, too…

"… Thank you," replied Tsubaki, her smile returning, if only a little.

A few moments later, both guests had bid their farewells and departed from the Matsushita household.

Now, Ai was left alone with her Servant in her room, the both of them still sitting on their bed. The rest of the day would be preparing for the battle with Rider, wouldn't it…

"Don't worry, Master, there's no way I'll let this plan fail. I'm a manslayer suited to killing with a lightning-fast blade, so as long as her chariot is destroyed I'll win for sure," she said, as Ai slowly stood.

Saber kept referring to herself like that… even with the amount of pride she showed in her own skills, Ai couldn't help but feel as the label of 'manslayer' was underselling herself. The platinum blonde swordswoman displayed incredible skill in battle, while 'manslayer' was more apt for someone who dedicated themselves to murder rather than combat. More then that… Saber was a lovely, beautiful girl, not just some violent killer.

"Oh… Master, before Inoue-san and Lancer showed up, wasn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

For a split second, the entire world froze for Ai. Her cheeks went bright red, her entire body going rigid as her honey-colored eyes widened in shock.

Saber had remembered it. Even after all the other conversations with Tsubaki and Lancer, she'd remembered it… oh. Oh no. She hadn't thought it through at all. She'd almost been glad she'd be interrupted, because she'd had no idea what to say to her Servant!

"I-I um… um…" Ai stammered, her entire body shaking. What could she say to Saber, now? The girl samurai was asking her directly about it… what could she tell her?!

"Hawawawa…"

Saber cocked her head to one side. The fact that the gesture was cute didn't help Ai at all.

"Master?" she asked.

"N-n-nothing! N-n-nevermind!" cried Ai, finally, to the silvery-haired girl's confusion. The short brunette quickly turned away, heading for the door, "L-l-let's go and get ready to take on Rider!"

She wasn't ready yet. She'd come close, earlier, but there was no way she was ready.

Ai couldn't tell Saber just how she felt.

Not yet.


	12. Chapter 12

Rider hated her Master's living quarters.

They were so… boring. Completely unfitting for someone who had summoned a beautiful and lovely Queen such as herself. He summoned Queen Medb, and yet his lodgings were so blank, dull, and lifeless? It was audacious, and not in the way she liked.

Annoyingly, he wasn't even here. At the moment, the pink-haired Servant wanted to go out again, and track down Archer and Assassin after they had ambushed her. It was… frankly, hilarious. The fact they'd believed could defeat her with such a plan… oh, just who did they think they were dealing with? The memory of their rapid retreat gave her some joy, to say the least. And yet…

Well, it was brave, even if their physical strength wasn't high. Rider had little interest in Assassin, but Archer… well, he was quite handsome as well, wasn't he…?

They didn't approach what she believed to be the greatest prize of this war, moreso then the Grail itself. The Holy Grail was something that belonged to her. As she was Queen, it was hers. It was a simple fact. But Saber… That girl samurai's beauty, the audacity she displayed her cutting away one of her bulls' horns, the courage… ah, who could blame her for her desires?

Of course, she was fairly certain of Saber's identity, as well, after the display when she cut down the great beast that Caster had summoned. It had been an utterly elegant and utterly brutal blow… perfect for the kind of person Queen Medb desired to mold into her plaything.

But it was, to be honest, rather difficult to become caught in ones' own fantasies when the location was so horribly bland. To think, she had returned her out of a desire to, for once, report on the battles she had so recently fought(admittedly mostly because she hoped that her Master would have some idea where Archer and Assassin were hiding. He was good for that, at least), only to find that he had departed without even speaking to her.

How foolish. And insulting. If there were anyone else who could support her, Rider would have considered forgetting about the drab and dull Master she'd been given and finding another… sadly, that did not appear to be feasible at the moment.

Rider sighed. Worse still was the fact he had used a command seal on her, to force her to retreat during her first engagement with Saber and Lancer… she'd been so close to making Saber hers! How could he do such a thing?! It was a disgraceful way to treat a Queen!

Maybe he would die on whatever little outing he had taken. Then she could contract with another, more interesting Master. Perhaps she could try and find Caster's Master? She was a vampire, but why should a Queen care for that? Those who were interesting, those who she found desirable, it didn't matter what their nature was. As long as they kept her attention, she would accept their existence. The fear of Dead Apostles hardly mattered to someone like Rider.

… Even if he survived whatever it was he was doing(Rider hardly had any desire to go and see what it was. Even if he'd slain a dragon he was so painfully dull in his mannerisms and motivations that it wouldn't even remotely make her warm up to him. He was so dull not even that sort of feat could build any heat between her thighs), maybe he wouldn't mind if she tried to spruce everything up. He didn't care about his surroundings anyway, so why would he care if she changed it?

The apartment was almost totally blank, save for the ingredients used for spells and a suitcase full of utterly boring and worthless items. Even if Medb did some remodeling, it would still be far too small for someone like her. Why was she being restricted to such a drab location? It was like Hirata Genjiro didn't even know who he had summoned. In spite of having used a catalyst… a piece of her throne, even! How could someone obtain something like that and still be so dreadfully, horribly boring?

To put it quite simply, boredom was the enemy of the Queen.

There was much she would do in order to defeat it. And the thought of breaking that beautiful, brave Saber down, pinning her to the ground, and watching as she was forced to use her cute little mouth to please her Queen as she slowly drowned in more and more pleasure, until she became a slave to her needs… aaah…

Well, certainly, that was enough to relieve her boredom.

It was not long afterwards that the door opened. There, walking through it, was Rider's Master. A few things were immediately noticeable upon his entrance. To begin with, he was removing one of those Japanese fox masks from his face, and his body was entirely clad in dark fabric.

"… Ah. So you returned, Rider," he said, simply, setting the mask aside on a nearby table. He'd been out for… Rider hadn't bothered to think of how long, actually. At this point the only manner in which her Master mattered to her was in that he provided her with mana so that she could remain in the world. Beyond this, there was nothing else. In fact, if anything, speaking with him dampened her mood somewhat.

"I was almost thinking of trying to give you a report, but you were out doing…"

Rider paused for a moment. There was blood on the black fabric. But her Master definitely did not appear to be injured… Had he killed something? Someone? At this point she didn't care if he'd somehow killed one of the enemy Servants. There was nothing he could do to spark her interest.

"… This blood is not mine," he said, simply, removing the stained robes and placing them aside, "I have set some of our enemies against one another. Our role in this war should go much more smoothly, Rider."

"Oh, should it?" asked the pink-haired Servant, cocking her head to one side. If that was true, she was more annoyed to be missing it than anything else.

"Berserker's Master now believes that Assassin has killed one of her servants," responded Genjiro, "I doubt that it would have worked with any of the other Masters, but given her immaturity, and the nature of her Servant, I was certain I would achieve the desired outcome."

Berserker's Master… the little girl? Well, it wasn't as if her age mattered. She was involved in a furious war, so what did Rider care what happened to her? Still, though, she was missing out on a clash between Berserker and Assassin? How annoying. It would have been interesting to see the fox masked Servant get crushed, if nothing else, but it was likely she was still allied with Archer as well…

But there was something about the way Genjiro spoke that irritated the pink-haired queen. It spoke as if he assumed that they needed to do something like that. Berserker was a mad beast. She could have easily took him down and smashed him under her chariot, no matter how strong he was. Assassin wasn't a threat at all! Archer, too, was someone she could easily defeat… what was the point of going through with a foolish plan like this?

It was almost insulting. No, in fact, it was an insult! An insult to the Queen of Connacht!

"And why, exactly, did you think this was necessary?" she asked, sharply, golden eyes narrowing at her Master.

"To ensure our victory," came Genjiro's unflinching reply. How infuriating. That he assumed he would need to do such a thing to make sure that they won. Simply allowing her to do whatever she desired would be enough to claim victory! If anything, using a command seal in that first fight was what had taken away her chance at claiming a massive victory against Saber and Lancer! It was all her Master's fault!

The fact that he thought such a thing was necessary, at all…

"There's no such thing as a guaranteed victory against Berserker," continued Genjiro, angering Rider further, "But it's likely that Archer is allied with Assassin at this point. This means that he'll be up against two Servants, even if they are weaker. The odds are in our favor."

"The odds are in our favor even against Berserker at his full potential!" snapped Queen Medb, "Who do you think you summoned? I'm the Queen of Connacht who crushed her enemies with charm and grace!"

"… Even so, I won't reject an opportunity to bring us just that much closer to victory," responded Genjiro, calmly.

"… Hmph," Rider folded her arms, "You're the worst kind of Master for me."

He didn't appear to care, which angered Medb even more. She had half a mind to kill him and seek someone else out, but… she didn't want to risk being unable to successfully make a contract. Not that she felt she would have any difficulty charming anyone she desired, but she had no idea where her prime target(the vampire) was, and aside from that it was hardly easy to locate another Master. Trying to force one of the enemy Masters to contract her, well… a single human couldn't support more than one Servant.

She didn't want to miss her chance to obtain Saber. Being removed from the war because her mana ran out would not be a fitting performance for a queen. She hadn't the least intention of perishing, especially in such an unimpressive manner. So, she would put up with this drab, uninteresting fool who thought that she required any assistance like that in order to claim victory. As she was Queen, she would win under her own power.

Queen Medb certainly did not need anyone as drab and uninteresting as Hirata Genjiro to be her Master. Even his brutality was boring. He'd casually murdered someone as part of his plan, and yet there was nothing at all interesting about it as far as she was concerned.  
She didn't even feel motivated to report the allegiance between Archer and Assassin to him any longer. If he didn't already know, it's not as if it would change anything. In fact, Medb would rather have fought both of them rather then tell him and have him attempt to solve it in some manner. The lack of faith he seemed to have in her abilities made Rider quite irritable.

"… Is there something you wish to say, Rider? Genjiro asked, as he placed the bloodstained robes and the mask carefully on a metallic slab, shaking out some kind of fine red powder on them.

"Not to you," came Rider's curt response, as she cocked her head to one side. Her feelings were quite evident with every word.  
Genjiro didn't say anything. Instead, he simply continued to shake out the red powder across the equipment he had used. As soon as he was done, a blue flame without smoke or scent began to spread across the robes and the mask, swiftly incinerating it.

How boring.

She barely spoke to him even when it came to discussing plans. To begin with, she was quite certain she was a better strategist then he was. She had waged wars in life. He had, evidently, killed a maid. To perform some entirely unnecessary plan that just showed how complete his failure to understand his Servant was. Did he expect her to be impressed? No, he probably didn't, actually. He probably didn't care what she thought at all. If he'd been more interesting, that would have been another point of irritation.

But at this point even Queen Medb couldn't muster any more anger, rather she felt apathy at the idea that this man didn't care what she thought. It was almost surreal when she thought about it, that there was a man so unbearably dull that she had no interest in how he thought about her. Even the shameful men of the modern times could be somewhat entertaining to toy with.

Her Master was not.

And so, rather then pay him any more heed, Rider's mind instead returned to things she did care about.

She wanted to obtain Saber soon.

* * *

So she had to meet Rider and tell her the conditions of their battle… Saber sighed to herself, slightly. It was strange, knowing that she had to put herself up as a prize to be won, but it all made sense. Rider's reaction to her skill in battle made it perfectly clear that the pink-haired Servant wouldn't hesitate at such a chance. Still, it was… embarrassing to think about making such an offer. It was the kind of thing that reminded her of Hijikata's womanizing ways, nothing like anything she herself had done in life.

As she thought about this, however, Saber suddenly found her mind drifting to the matter of her Master. Or rather, the way that her Master had been looking at her. The silvery-haired swordswoman wasn't used to being seen that way… had anyone ever looked at her like that before? She didn't quite understand it, and if anyone had done so before she simply hadn't realized. What did it mean? The way that Ai looked at her sometimes, the way she talked about her… it made the girl samurai feel a little strange inside. It wasn't bad, really… but it was a feeling she didn't know how to react to. This kind of… slight tightness in her chest…

For that matter… what had Ai wanted to talk to her about before? It certainly wasn't nothing. It seemed as if it was some important topic, something crucial to their partnership as Master and Servant. But then she'd refused to speak a word about it, insisting that it wasn't anything important. Why was that? It was something the swordswoman couldn't understand easily. She'd have to ask Ai about it again. Maybe she'd just been thrown off by Inoue Tsubaki's sudden arrival?

But now wasn't the time to be distracted by any such strange feelings.

It wasn't much longer before she was going to meet Rider. Drawing the enemy Servant out was likely a matter of simply being somewhere she was likely to be. Rider never seemed to pass up the opportunity to go after an enemy Servant, even if it was early enough that the battle could still be sighted by civilians.

For the moment, however, they were still making preparations. It was unlikely that they would even face Rider today, but it was hardly as if that was a poor decision. Saber was certain the more preparation was made, the better!

She was going to defeat Rider no matter what, but at the same time that didn't mean that her Master shouldn't do her best to be prepared for the fight.

"U-um, Saber, er…" she heard Ai's voice behind her as she waited by the window, and glanced back over her shoulder towards the diminutive brunette, "How… how do you think we should prepare? Um… I just… Rider is really powerful, s-so…"

The girl trailed off into silence. Her Master was always so nervous… Saber didn't know what to do all the time, but she did want to do her best to keep her Master's spirits up. It didn't feel good seeing her so frightened.

"Master, I'm going to win. This is a good plan, and I don't think there's any way Rider can pass up an offer like that," said the girl samurai, giving her Master a smile, "As for preparing, I think we have time to figure it out. We're not going to be fighting her immediately, we still have some time before the battle."

"R-right… right!" declared Ai with a weak nod, "U-um… eh-heh…"

After a few moments, the short magus took a deep breath to try and calm herself.

"That's right…" she said, "But… but regardless, we should try and prepare as much as possible! Um, Rider is pretty scary and all… and now we know she has such a strong Noble Phantasm… And… who knows if she has more?"

That was true as well. Rider was a class known for not having one, but numerous strong Noble Phantasms. What if she had others in addition to the chariot, her future sight, and Caladbolg? There was no way to be certain, but battles were never something that could be determined with total certainty anyway. Of course, even if she didn't, one of the chief things they needed to be wary of was Caladbolg. But Saber was confident she could keep the pressure on Queen Medb so that she was unable to use it, once the chariot was destroyed at least.

"That might be the case, but in battle you can't go worrying about possibilities," Saber responded, "You have to find the path to victory. If you get caught up in your own concerns and self-doubt, you can't fight your hardest, and you can't win when you're like that. You have to focus on your path to victory."

She paused for a moment. Certainly that was true, but after a moment of consideration she realized that it wasn't exactly everything, either.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware of what your enemies are capable of," the girl samurai added, "But you shouldn't dwell on it unless you're planning on how to counter it!"

Saber hoped that would give Ai the boost she needed. If not, well… maybe it was time to change the topic entirely. Certainly, planning for the upcoming battle was important, but the truth was that it would be difficult to do so properly when her Master was feeling so frantic. On top of that, she didn't like to see Ai so upset, anyway. Besides, they weren't going to go looking for Rider yet anyway.

Admittedly, this would have been easier if they knew where Rider was to begin with, but at the moment there was no real way of figuring that out.

"U-um… right! Yes!" declared Ai, with a nod, "We, um… we should focus on making sure we're ready then… R-right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it's all we should do! There's time before we'll go after Rider, after all," added Saber, "And even when we find her we won't be fighting her yet."

"That's right…"

Ai took a deep breath and nodded to herself. It looked like Saber's bid to calm her down might have really worked, to the girl samurai's relief. There was no use trying to do anything serious when her Master was in such a distraught state, after all. It wouldn't help at all. For the moment, there wasn't much else they could do for preparations. After all, the had to confirm that Medb would agree to the engagement before actually getting ready to fight her, didn't they?

"For now, I don't know if there's much more we can do to prepare, until Medb agrees to the fight," added Saber.

"O-oh… really? Um…" Ai shifted from one foot to the other, awkwardly, "I-in that case… what should we do?"

Saber, admittedly, didn't really know. They should try and keep their minds on the war, as long as Ai wasn't panicking about it, but without having confirmed Medb's intention to participate in a one-on-one fight she wasn't certain just what could be done. On top of that, there were a few other matters that her Master wanted to deal with, weren't there…?

"U-um… for now, maybe we could try and search for the Atlas base, um…" Ai hesitated a little, "I think… I think that might be the best idea! It's safer to do it during the day, if we can't do anything else…"

The bid to find Yumimura Saori… The girl samurai didn't know if it would bear fruit, but they had to try, didn't they? In a way, Saber felt guilty… it wasn't as if they could have left Caster alone, but if she had known… maybe she could have done something different. But… for now, they had to look ahead. They had to keep moving forward. If they didn't, everything else would become pointless.

"… I think that's a good idea, Master," replied Saber, smiling slightly, "It's something we can do during the day… and something we can do for Yumimura-san, too."

Ai gave an emphatic nod. It was what she wanted to do, as well.

"A-and, um…" Ai shifted awkwardly, "Saber, er…"

She was hesitating. Was it about what she'd wanted to say before? What was making her so worried about speaking up about it? If it was important…

"… Er… what kind of clues do you think we need to find?" asked Ai, suddenly. But… it was easy to tell that the girl wasn't originally thinking of asking about that particular topic, even for someone like Saber. The silvery-haired girl knew she wasn't always the best at reading people, but at the same time it was so obvious that Ai had originally intended to say something else…

And as for clues about the Atlas base, Saber admittedly had no idea. She knew absolutely nothing about Atlas beyond the fact that they took Yumimura Saori, and that the operative that did so was a mysterious eighth Master.

"I don't know, I can't say I know very much about magecraft or anything like that," Saber answered, finally, apologetically. "But that's where your knowledge will come in, Master! With your magecraft and my skill, we'll find something for sure!"

"You… y-you're right! I'll try and detect anything unusual… I'll use my familiars, too!" declared Ai, her confidence finally surging. And it wasn't as if the possibility to seeing her Master's cat familiars again didn't get Saber a little excited, either. They were all so cute!

But… no, now was time to be serious.

Soon enough, Master and Servant had departed from their home again, bidding goodbye to the maids. Aside from Marianne giving Saber a somewhat embarrassing compliment about her shorts and thigh-highs combo, nothing else of note happened during their departure. After locating an alleyway to duck into, Ai called her familiars to her. Once again, Saber couldn't help but be entranced by just how adorable they all were. This swarm of soft, fluffy cats… of course, even as she knelt to pet them on their fluffy little heads, they were all completely fixed on Ai. Their attention was completely unshakable. Soon enough, she had given the cat familiars their orders, and they spread back out throughout the city in order to locate anything out of the ordinary.

Unfortunately, the search criteria were rather vague. Saber's lack of familiarity with magecraft wasn't enough to keep her from understanding that. The only thing they really had to work with was unusual spikes of mana or something of that nature, and the entire city could be an entry point for the Atlas base. For that matter, was there even necessarily an external entrance? Rani had seemingly teleported, after all.

But regardless of any of that, the fact was they had to find something! Some kind of clue, they'd locate it for sure!

As they began their search, Ai had explained that in addition to using her familiars, she'd be utilizing the full extent of her ability to perceive things via her nature as a magus. While it was likely that the Atlas base would be using some kind of capability to hide itself from even other magi, it was also unlikely they could totally remove the presence of any increased amount of mana nearby. Especially if they had recently summoned a Servant. For that matter, Saber could potentially sense the Servant they had summoned, as well. Ai's current theory was that it was a second Caster, which is why Rani had waited until Caster was dead in order to reveal herself.

It was equally possible that it had simply been the timed that way due to the fact she was sent to collect Yumimura Saori, but it wasn't a terrible theory. It made sense that the Servant they summoned would be a replacement for the one who had died, at least insofar as Saber could tell.

The more populated locations of town were largely ruled out, mostly due to the fact that it would have been difficult to establish a workshop in a public location without anyone knowing. It wasn't as if it was impossible, but it was certainly unlikely.

As a result, to begin with, their search was mostly restricted to back alleys and other more isolated locations. Initially, Saber suggested the forest, but Ai pointed out that it was unlikely the base would have been established so closely to the location in which Caster had established her workshop. As soon as she mentioned it, it made perfect sense. Why would you try and make for base of operations directly on top of one where someone with hostile intent was? When waging combat against enemies, the Shinsengumi certainly never established their operations, so why would it be any different for Atlas?

And so the forest was dismissed, in favor of searching the outer portions of town and working their way inward. Whenever there was no-one looking, Saber would pick Ai up in order to move more quickly around town. This never failed to get the smaller girl blushing, and at this point the girl samurai would find her own cheeks coloring somewhat as well, though she did her best to ignore it. Now was the time to remain as focused as possible, after all, and not get distracted by anything else! They were going to find some kind of clue! They had to, in order to claim victory against this mystery, and find Yumimura Saori!

Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as that.

Just as the both of them had guessed, the Atlas base was well-hidden. Whatever they had put in place in order to conceal it was extremely effective. Was it something similar to the bounded field that concealed Alysvial von Einzbern's mansion, or was it something entirely different? Certainly, Saber didn't know. But she remained optimistic! Even if it was completely hidden from the eyes of mundane civilians, a magus and a Servant had many more options when it came to locating something hidden from the public eye! Admittedly, it was sword skills and not tracking that she was famous for, but that didn't mean she was completely unaware of how to hunt!

Ai, on the other hand, seemed to be growing steadily more demoralized. They had already been searching for most of the day, and neither her familiars nor herself had been able to find anything even remotely out of the ordinary. Briefly, they had been intrigued by the sight of an old Japanese mansion, but eventually that turned out to be fruitless. Even if there was some sort of magecraft in place there, it was not the Atlas base.

However… it was certainly someone's, and it was important to keep that in mind for the future. After all, they'd already discussed going on the offensive…

As the sun sank lower and lower in the sky, and they continued to find nothing of particular note that could lead to the Atlas base, Ai began to feel less and less optimistic. Concerned, Saber had attempted to convince her that even finding nothing they had at least ruled out where the base wasn't, but that didn't seem to help very much. Rather, it also seemed like it made Ai feel even worse, which sent a pang of guilt through Saber's heart. She hadn't intended to upset her Master at all.

By this point in time, the sun hand sunk below the horizon, and the streets were largely empty once more. It was night.

"… Come on, Saber…" Ai said, despondently, "We're not going to find anything. We might as well just give up already… We have to prepare to fight Rider, anyway…"

Saber paused for a moment. While she didn't necessarily think they should keep searching right now, she also wasn't willing to give up entirely. If there was any chance of finding Yumimura Saori, they had to take it. They also have to figure out what was going on with the whole 'eighth master' mystery…

"Master, I think it's fine to take a break. We've been out all day, and I can tell you're tired," she said, with a smile, "But… We can't just give up! We should be prepared to fight Rider, but that doesn't mean we should just forget about this! There's plenty more town to cover tomorrow, and I know you can do it! With your familiars and your own skills when it comes to magecraft, I'm certain we'll be able to find some kind of clue if we just keep at it!"

Perseverance was something that had affected Saber's life greatly. If she hadn't persevered in her training, even with how people praised her as a prodigy from the very start, she would never had become the famous samurai who qualified to be a Heroic Spirit. She would never have become a Servant at all. And so, naturally, she was going to advocate perseverance to her Master. Not simply because it was how she had done it, but because she didn't want to see her Master so sad. The simple fact was that, due to the nature of the Holy Grail War, if Atlas was summoning a Servant they had to be here somewhere. They had to have made some kind of base at some point. Which meant there had to be some kind of sign of its existence.

If Rani had been willing to reveal herself, they couldn't be somewhere completely foreign.

"But… we haven't found anything at all yet," Ai responded, shoulders sagging, "It's hard to persevere when it looks like there's nothing to strive for… You said yourself that all we'd done was prove where it wasn't."

Saber winced. But… it was true. However, that wasn't how she had meant it.

"… I did, Master," replied the swordswoman, inclining her head to one side as she spoke, "But what I meant is that we've narrowed it down. There's plenty of places in Minami City that we haven't searched yet, and it could be in any of those locations at all. With your familiars sweeping over every nook and cranny, there's no way they can keep themselves so perfectly hidden that we won't find something!"

She gave her Master a confident grin, and she saw a small smile form on Ai's lips. Even if the short brunette didn't seem entirely convinced, at least she was smiling again.

Then, the short girl suddenly paused, as if she had some sort of epiphany.

"… Spatial warping and teleportation are incredibly difficult for a modern magus," said Ai, looking thoughtful, "I… I didn't think about it before, but that means they're probably not too far from where Rani-san picked up Yumimura-san. They must have some kind of ritual in place in order to quickly move from inside their base to outside of it!"

Saber's gold eyes widened. She hadn't thought about it before, either, given her limited knowledge of magecraft, but if that was the case…

"To keep their base hidden, it can only be so big unless it was established very far in the past, before the city was built," Ai continued, "But Minami City only became something extraordinary, that Atlas would be interested in, with the first Holy Grail War. So that means that the network they created has to be close by!"

"If that's the case, then we know exactly where we need to look!" declared Saber, brightly. They finally had a lead! Ai was already deploying a message to her familiars to focus their search, and both girls immediately turned to set off in a direction near the alleyway where Yumimura Saori had been taken. With a much narrower search criteria, they'd be able to locate some sort of sign of the base's location without question!

And then…

Something blurred through the air, and without thought, acting solely on instinct, Saber grabbed her Master by the shoulders and pulled her back, hugging the smaller girl to herself. Now able to focus on just what was happening, Saber realized it was a car, flipping through the air and slamming into the pavement, its hood crumpling like tinfoil.

But it didn't seem like it was an attack aimed at them…?

"Wh-wha…" Ai stared, wide-eyed.

And then both girls saw it. The familiar masked figure that was Assassin suddenly darted from an alleyway, spinning and hurling several kunai back towards some sort of pursuer as she twisted in the air before continuing her retreat.

And then, behind her, that hulking, dark figure wielding twin golden axes, a tiny, pale girl seated on his shoulder, her features marked by fury as the massive man bellowed in unearthly sound…

"Berserker?!"

But the other Servants paid Saber, nor her Master, no heed, the chase proceeding across the street in a span of mere seconds.

"… We… we…" Ai hesitated for a moment, then… "We have to follow them!"

Saber nodded, quickly, shifting Ai carefully to her back as she turned to make her pursuit.

There was no way that they could ignore this.

But a battle between Berserker and Assassin, Alys looking so enraged… There was no way that Assassin had a chance of fighting against Berserker. So had Berserker attacked Assassin? But why would Alys prioritize Assassin over the others? Had something gone wrong?

Something seemed strange to Saber.

She couldn't ignore it.

* * *

It had happened so fast, so suddenly. Assassin's patrol route had suddenly been interrupted in an instant. The massive axe-wielding figure, the little girl perched on his shoulder, declaring she was a murderer… It wasn't necessarily a point that she could dispute. The very nature of her existence as a Servant was founded on her existence as an assassin who killed for the sake of her lord. But at the same time, both herself and her Master had concluded targeting Berserker or his Master was foolish so soon. She had yet to even attempt to scout of the homunculus girl's home! So why was she being pursued so fervently?! They were undeniably enemies, but why would she suddenly have become such a priority?!

Even as she attempted to conceal herself in a nearby shadow, that golden axe came crashing down and forced her to keep moving. Assassin's mind raced in her moment of desperation. This was not simply a pursuit because she was their enemy. That much was certain. This was an attack on her as if she had directly wronged them.

"Murderer!" she heard the little girl scream behind her, followed by a roar from Berserker. While she was certainly faster than her attacker, Berserker's persistence made him incredibly difficult to shake… Why?! The last thing she had wanted to do was get into a direct conflict with Berserker! The strategy she had planned with her Master had been to avoid him until he came into conflict with Saber and Lancer!

A golden axe swung far too close, and Assassin could almost feel the pavement beside her explode! Spinning, her momentum carrying her through the air, she drew kunai from her kimono and threw them towards the hulking figure. He was unable to dodge, and they each embedded into his chest, but…

It just barely slowed him down. She knew such a huge and dangerous Servant wouldn't be killed by one of her most basic attacks. Even her Noble Phantasm wouldn't be able to slay such a hulking monster of a man unless she could strike a vital point!

She rounded a corner, and Berserker exploded out of the alleyway moments afterwards in pursuit!

Mori Ranmaru was usually one to conduct her strategy based on orders from her lord. In life, this had been the beautiful demon lord that dwelled within her heart to this day, Oda Nobunaga. For the moment, it was a substitute who shared her true lord's blood. Shimada Yukiko possessed a measure of the spark that was Oda Nobunaga's fire. It was only a tiny spark, but it was enough to make her a worthy substitute lord in Ranmaru's eyes.

So she couldn't allow herself to fail so utterly during this chase! Even as Berserker's footsteps shattered the concrete beneath him, falling here would be a shameful display towards her substitute lord and to the true lord that remained in her heart!

But her options were running low. She couldn't fight Berserker directly, it wasn't within the capabilities of an Assassin-class Servant. And she couldn't simply keep running forever. Since he was already aware of her presence, Presence Concealment was largely useless.

She had to think of something, anything…!

Her Master had recently made an allegiance with the Master of Archer. It was quite temporary, only until they dealt with Rider. Given their previous plan to defeat Rider had failed, the alliance was still ongoing. For that matter, her Master had even proceeded to Archer's Master's base of operations in order to construct a new plan, intending to share it with her upon her return… And Archer was still there…

Neither of them were Servants whose capabilities lay in direct combat. However, with the both of them working together, wasn't there a chance of defeating Berserker?

It was the only chance that Assassin had!

But that meant she had to make it there first. Berserker was far too close for comfort, even if she could outmaneuver him…!

The enormous bellow came again, as Berserker's axe swung down! She darted to the side, but then his second axe swung right for her! She had no choice but to try and block it, it was far too powerful of a blow to try dodging it at this range!

When her katana struck the golden axeblade, there was a resounding crash of metal on metal. For the briefest moment, Assassin's defense held, and then the street beneath her cratered and she was sent rocketing back through the air! Wind rushed past her as she slammed into a lamppost, bending the metal from the impact of her body! Even as a Servant, she could feel dull pain radiate through her arms and back…

But…

"You shouldn't try to match yourself against Berserker, you murderer!" cried the Einzbern homunculus, from Berserker's shoulder, "There's no way you'll win!"

But that wasn't what Assassin was trying to do.

Rolling to her feet, the fox-masked girl was off again without a moment's pause! It had been painful, but the force of that blow had sent her some distance away from her pursuer! With the ground she had gained, she could reach her destination before being killed!

Realizing that Assassin was taking advantage of the distance she'd been flung, Berserker let out another unearthly roar and charged after her. But with the distance she had gained, it would be difficult for him to catch up!

She could make it…!

Archer's Master was currently staying at a small, yet high-class apartment he had prepared specifically for the Holy Grail War. It wasn't much further. As long as she took the quickest possible route to her destination there was no way that Berserker could catch up to her! Still, though, he was close enough that attempting to use Presence Concealment simply wasn't an option. There was no way that she would be able to vanish when he could still see her.

There! The building was just ahead! She could see it! Even though she could still hear those thunderous footfalls behind her!

That glimmer of gold from the rooftop…

She could feel Archer's presence.

Almost immediately after Assassin perceived the golden gleam, a trio of gunshots rang out! Berserker suddenly stepped back and raised his massive arms defensively, and when Assassin glanced back over her shoulder she could see the impact of bullets, burying themselves in his arms. Unfortunately, to such a hulking beast of a man, it was hardly enough to damage him, but it had brought him to a halt!

"I'm not gonna ask what kinda mess you got yourself into, Assassin," came Archer's instantly recognizable voice, as he kept his revolver trained squarely on the hulking Servant, "But I reckon it's a doozy."

Reaching up, Ranmaru removed her fox mask, allowing it to dissipate into green motes of light as she swiftly drew the longer of her two katana.

"Berserker attacked me during my patrol!" she declared. She still wasn't certain as to why Alysvial von Einzbern had become so convinced she had somehow wronged the homunculus specifically, but that no longer mattered. They had to defeat Berserker, no matter what. Leading him here had been a gamble, given the presence of both their Masters so close by. But the fact was that this was her only chance, and she couldn't have allowed herself to die pathetically without a fight.

"Because you're a murderer!" cried Alysvial, "What did Lysvil ever do to you?! What did Velvie ever do to you!? What did Ivyrette ever do to you!? All they were doing was their jobs, and you still attacked them and killed Lysvil! Why?!"

Assassin didn't understand. She would never have been so sloppy as to leave so many dead and injured that weren't her target, to begin with. Aside from that, she had no idea who Alysvial was even talking about.

"Somethin' you need to tell me, Assassin?" asked Archer from above.

"I am a killer, but I have no idea what it is that she speaks of," protested the black-haired girl, as she raised her katana carefully, eyeing Berserker. The massive man's entire body seemed to tense again, "I was merely on a patrol route dictated by my Master."

"Liar!" screamed Alysvial. Berserker let out another unearthly roar, spreading his arms wide. Darkness almost immediately seemed to spread from his feet. From the darkness rose skeletal warriors… the very same minions that Berserker had summoned previously! Just who was he?! A mad warrior with an army of undead?!

But any time Assassin could have spared on attempting to discern her opponent's identity was lost when the hulking brute charged, along with his skeletal soldiers.

Archer sprang down from the rooftop, taking aim as he fell, his other hand kept on his hat to keep it from blowing off. With each shot that rang out, the skull of one of the undead warriors exploded again and again, the rest of the bodies collapsing into a pile of bones that dissipated into nothing. Before they could attempt to deal with Berserker, the numbers had to be thinned…!

And Assassin had to ensure that no threat came to her Master. Even if she was just a substitute, Shimada Yukiko was still her lord, and still a woman who possessed the blood of her true lord. She could not allow her to be harmed, no matter what the cost may be.

Reaching into her kimono, Assassin drew another set of kunai. When she threw them, each of the skeletal dead that the blades struck staggered, and when she stepped into their shadows, she disappeared! Immediately, she reemerged in their midst, her blade flashing as she cut through bone! Against an enemy Servant, she was hardly the most capable combatant, but against these dead…!

She could thin their numbers! They were like automatons, her ability to disappear into the shadows was an insurmountable obstacle for them! With Archer working to keep Berserker's attention, she could cut down as many of the undead warriors as she could! If she followed this path, this strategy, was it possible that they could defeat Berserker?!

Even if there was a slim possibility, she had to strive for it. It was what her lord would have done!

Elegantly, like a dance, Assassin cut through the skull of one of the dead, then spun, her blade cleaving through the ribcage and spinal column of another one of the strange skeletons. Before she could be struck by a thrust spear, the black-haired killer vanished into the shadows again, emerging once more behind her newest assailant to take off its head.

But even with Berserker distracted, it wasn't as if the enormous warrior had simply vanished. Any single moment he had to spare between Archer's gunshots was spent advancing on Assassin, his golden axes raised. Thankfully, with the large number of shadows here, she could quickly relocate to avoid the brilliant golden axeblades as they swung down, cleaving into the pavement! And as soon as Berserker had attempted his assault again, Archer had already fired! His bullets were not successfully harming the massive Servant, but they were doing some small amount of damage and keeping his attention. Assassin guessed it was more likely due to the potential harm to his Master then the minor damage the bullets were inflicting to his body.

As for Archer… he still wasn't using his Noble Phantasm. Assassin could only assume he was waiting for the perfect chance. But without knowing what it was, the ninja girl couldn't be certain if it would be enough to slay the monster that was Berserker!

Darting back and out of the way of a swinging sword, Assassin faded into the shadows once again, leaping out of them to cleave cleanly through the body of another warrior. Her work was swift and efficient, she was cutting her way through the skeletal undead as swiftly as she could! As long as Berserker remained distracted, as long as they still had an opportunity…!

Suddenly, a larger skeleton's sword came crashing down, forcing her to block with the side of her blade. Ah?! Had she lost track of one of Berserker's warriors!? Well, as long as-

Suddenly, for an instant, Assassin's entire world went white.

When her vision returned, she found herself in the air. Her entire right side felt white-hot with pain, and she slowly began to realize just what had happened.

She could see blood in the air. It was her own. She could see that golden axe splattered with it. And then she could feel it… an enormous gash cutting through her side, nearly severing her entire body in half.

… She'd made a mistake.

She had become too confident… She thought Archer had been able to keep Berserker from focusing on her.

The wall of the apartment complex crumpled inward as she struck it, and before she landed she could see the look of shock on her Master's face. That beautiful face that could only belong to someone who shared the blood of her beautiful Lord… When Assassin hit the ground, she left a smear of blood as she rolled once and then lay still.

"Assassin!" she heard her Master cry.

Ranmaru knew she'd failed.

She knew, indeed, that this was the end of her second life.

To think it would end with such a dishonorable performance…

To think…

* * *

Her life had begun without reason or purpose.

It had been years of a meaningless existence before she first met her. That beautiful, black hair. Those crimson eyes. That delicate, pale skin. Until that moment, Mori Ranmaru had felt she was leading her life without purpose. She had been unable to understand why she existed. But then…

Oda Nobunaga had not been a tall individual. Nor had she been frightening. Rather, she had been a short, almost doll-like and youthful girl, who had given Ranmaru a quite cheerful smile when they first met. Ranmaru herself had barely entered her early teens, but even than she had already become taller then Nobunaga. And yet, when she looked upon the delicate girl, she had felt something inside herself, something she had never experienced before.

It was warmth. Her heart had begun to beat more quickly. At the time, the girl couldn't understand. Her life until that very moment had been aimless. She rarely expressed even the slightest hint of emotion, let alone anything like happiness. But in that moment… when she looked upon Oda Nobunaga's beautiful, doll-like form…

She could only describe her feelings as joy. Joy at being allowed to gaze upon someone so beautiful, so lovely. Joy at finally discovering a purpose. Indeed, Ranmaru's life was suddenly painted with colors she had never even dreamed of before.

She had found a reason to live.

The girl took to her duty as Oda Nobunaga's retainer with gusto. She did everything, absolutely everything, that she was asked.

Ranmaru could not see any point in living for herself, but she could see a point in living for the beautiful demon king Oda Nobunaga.

But it wasn't simply the duties of a retainer that she fulfilled. It wasn't anything simple and mundane as that. She had to become Oda Nobunaga's shadow. A shadow that consumed the lives of her enemies.

This was a duty that Ranmaru dedicated herself wholly to. In order to become a better assassin, in order to fulfill the purpose that she had been given, the girl trained daily. She honed every skill she had into being the sort of killer that the beautiful, lovely demon king required. All she wanted to do was see that smile. To know she had done well, to know she had conducted herself honorably, for the sake of her Lord.

Beyond that, nothing else mattered.

One night, Nobunaga asked Ranmaru to her room. It had been after a long and difficult conflict, that had finally ended, for the time being. Ranmaru had been happy, as simply spending time close to her lord filled her heart with joy.

They had spoken for quite some time. Nobunaga had confessed that even someone like her was not immune to the effects of such a battle. She had simply wanted to talk, to speak with someone normally, and Ranmaru was her most trusted retainer.

And so, for quite some time, they had spoken at length.

Ranmaru didn't quite remember, exactly, how it had happened. But she remembered how it felt. The warmth of Nobunaga's lips against hers, the softness of her delicate skin, her silky hair… she remembered her own shock at first. It was not that she had never hoped for such a thing. Rather, she had never expected it could come true.

Nobunaga's small, frail-seeming frame pressed against her, her warmth… she remembered embracing her lord, and the smaller woman had not resisted.

It was exactly what she had wanted.

That night, for the first time, the both of them made love. It was hardly the last time. There was a reason, even if their real gender had been forgotten, that the relationship between them was widely understood.

The act of sharing pleasure with the one she loved, and easing the burden of her stress… it was a renewed fuel to the fire of Ranmaru's life. In those days, she had burned even more brightly then she ever had before. She wanted to live on, for the sake of that wonderful smile.

There had been a time where she once wondered if the world would be any different if she lived or died. But that thought no longer occurred to her. As long as she could see that smile, and feel that warmth… Ranmaru had a purpose to her life.

They won victories time and time again. Oda Nobunaga's name was burned into history, just as she had wished. They would unite Japan and end the period of the Warring States.

At the time, Ranmaru had begun to think there was no way this endeavor could fail. As Nobunaga claimed victory after victory, Ranmaru struck down her enemies silently in the shadows. Blood was spilt over and over, but for the sake of Japan's unity, and for that smile, it didn't matter. She could keep going until the very end.

For the honor and love of Oda Nobunaga, there was nothing she wouldn't do.

Absolutely nothing.

Perhaps it was because of her own adoration of her lord that she didn't realize one of her very own allies could possibly come to hate Nobunaga. She understood the feelings of enemies, and those who currently stood in a neutral position. She had killed many of them, after all. But the idea of someone who fought under Nobunaga turning against her was completely unfathomable to Ranmaru.

Which was why the betrayal of Akechi Mitsuhide came has a complete shock.

At Honnoji, they had begun to realize just what situation they were now in. Ranmaru had thought her lord unbeatable, but now she had begun to realize that this was a situation they could never have fully prepared for. They had no strong force of defenders in place, those few who were capable of fighting were quickly destroyed, overwhelmed by the traitor's forces. Even Ranmaru's brothers had died that day.

When it was only the two of them remaining, Nobunaga told Ranmaru her final wishes.

To burn down the temple.

Ranmaru undertook this action understanding what it meant. Nobunaga, the love of her life, the woman she had devoted herself to completely and utterly, knew she was going to die.

It felt like her heart had simply shattered.

As the temple began to burn, as the woman she loved killed herself rather then die at the hands of the traitor, Ranmaru knew there was only one thing left for her to do, one final act of loyalty.

As the temple burned around them, she followed her lord into the afterlife with the edge of her own blade.

* * *

… Ah… she wasn't gone yet…? Her existence as a Servant… it hadn't come to an end… The pain reverberating through her body was burning like fire, but even in spite of her body nearly being severed in half she could still move.

For a few moments, Assassin's eyes drifted across the room.

"You… you had to have ordered her to do it, didn't you!?"

It was the Einzbern homunculus, still sitting atop Berserker's shoulder, pointing at her Master. Tears were in her eyes.

"You told her to kill Lysvil! Why?!"

Assassin had never received such orders from her substitute lord…

… Her Master…

Shimada Yukiko was on her knees, those beautiful red eyes wet with tears, too. She was crying… was she crying for her? It wasn't as if she had seen her Master's entire life, but to see her cry was something that Assassin had never expected…

Archer suddenly darted into the room, and let off a hail of shots at Berserker. But the monster's body was so powerful, so durable that even those attacks weren't enough to do serious damage.

He was so strong…

And she was already dying.

What was there that she could do, now, at the end of her second life? Assassin's eyes remained on her Master, even as the battle continued to rage.

… There was one more thing she could so, wasn't there? Before she faded away.

There was one famous act Assassin had performed in life that she was remembered for. Her very final, final moments…

In spite of the damage her body had sustained, Assassin rose to her feet. Her left arm was limp and useless, and blood spilled from the massive wound that tore into her waist. Perhaps it was only due to her nature as a Servant that she was not simply falling apart.

In her still-working right hand, she gripped her katana.

It was the final honorable act conducted by Mori Ranmaru.

Her Master realized she was back on her feet, her eyes widening in shock.

"A… Assassin!?" cried Yukiko, "You're alive?"

Part of Ranmaru hated to disappoint her, given how like Nobunaga she was. But there was only one thing she could do in order to do honor to her true lord, to save the substitute lord that the grail had given her to.

Berserker turned, his gold-adorned head looking back over his shoulder. It occurred to Assassin that he could still attack her, but at this point there was nothing he could do to stop it. She would not be able to kill him.

Even if she had possessed a technique that could certainly slay a monster like Berserker in a single stroke, the state her body was in rendered such a thing impossible.

But she would ensure he died here.

Assassin raised her blade. It gleamed in the moonlight that streamed through the windows, and the damaged wall. But soon, it became possessed of a light all its own. Brilliant red and orange flames ignited across its surface.

For a scant few moments, no-one in the room moved. Assassin felt rather certain this was due in part because they simply didn't understand what she was doing.

She spun the katana around in her hand, as the fire raced across it.

Glancing towards her Master, Ranmaru inclined her head slightly to the side, towards her. And then, she smiled.

It was the first time since her summoning that she had given a genuine smile.

"… Berserker… whatever land's hero you may be…" she began, her grip on the sword's hilt tightening, "Let me show you how deeply the devotion of Mori Ranmaru runs."

The fire blazed brighter, illuminating the room.

"These are the very same flames that consumed Honnoji!" she cried. It seemed as if Alysvial and Berserker realized that she was attempting to use a Noble Phantasm, but still had no idea what it would do, even as they turned to attempt to stop her.

But Archer's bullets delayed them.

She had just enough time…!

"Shi no Eiyo!" she declared. Her katana blazed its brightest, and she thrust it into her chest, running herself through. There was a sharp stab of pain, but compared to the constant blazing agony of her nearly severed waist it was almost nothing.

As coils of flame began to flow from the wound Assassin had put through her chest, she fell to her knees. Her vision was dulling, but she could hear her Master cry out for her again. But the smile didn't leave Ranmaru's lips. She had, in this single action, sealed Berserker's fate. As the fire left her body, it twisted through the air and suddenly surrounded the surprised Servant, who sprang back as it coalesced around him. But it didn't burn him. These flames were not those that incinerated flesh. No, they burned away at something else entirely…

Assassin shut her eyes, and her body began to fade away, golden motes of light rising into the air as she faded.

"Ah… Oda-sama…" she murmured, as she fell on her side.

"Did I make you proud?"

* * *

Berserker reeled with a roar, almost immediately grabbing Alysvial off of his shoulder and placing her down. The little girl's red eyes were wide.

"Berserker?! What's happening?!" she cried Alysvial, as the hulking figure fell on one knee.

It was difficult for Ai to understand what she was looking at when Saber and herself had arrived quite late into the apparent fight, in time to see Assassin sent flying, grievously wounded by one of Berserker's axes that nearly split her in half. Assassin might have been an enemy, but… it was an awful sight, seeing someone injured like that. Ai couldn't even begin to try and speak in the wake of such a gruesome scene, placing one hand to her mouth.

And yet…

Assassin had returned to her feet.

"… So that's it," Ai heard Saber's voice beside her. For a moment, the short brunette couldn't understand what her Servant meant, but suddenly Assassin plunged her sword through her own body.

"Wh-why…?!" she choked out. Assassin… she was already so heavily injured, and then she… she killed herself?! It was… it was awful, even knowing that Assassin was one of their enemies, one of the Servants who had tried to kill her…

"… She knows there's no way she can survive, with an injury like that," said Saber, her tone somewhat morose, "So she's using… it must be her second Noble Phantasm. After all… Mori Ranmaru was famous for committing seppuku to follow Oda Nobunaga into death, wasn't she?"

In that one moment, Ai suddenly understood just what was happening. A Noble Phantasm that was activated by the user's death… the flames that suddenly swirled around Berserker seemed to abruptly seep into him, as if they were taking root inside his very being. But they weren't burning him? They were… ah?

The fire had vanished entirely. It had flowed into Berserker's body. Slowly, the massive man rose. Had it failed to work…? Even though they were never allies, the idea that even Assassin's suicidal attack had failed to harm Berserker was a depressing one… Ai didn't know what to do aside from watch… He turned, and with that terrible and unearthly roar, raised one of his golden axes to strike at Archer…

The cowboy Servant fired his pistol directly into the hulking figure's arm. Just as before, Ai expected it to do little in the way of damage, but instead… instead Berserker let out another roar, and stumbled back with his arm hanging limply, blood trickling down his arm.

"… Then… Assassin's Noble Phantasm…" Ai trailed off. It hadn't been an attack, had it? At least, not one intended to harm Berserker physically. But if Archer's shot had disabled the huge man's arm…

"Master, what should we do?" asked Saber, one hand on her the hilt of her katana, "Alys-chan is in danger, but… I… everyone here is an enemy."

"I… I…" the short brunette trailed off. She didn't know.

Then, she heard Archer's now-familiar voice.

"… So that's what the lady was doin'," he said, with a sigh as he glanced towards the spot that Assassin's body had once occupied, "A Noble Phantasm that weakens the target… 'n yet she had to kill herself to do it. What kinda show is that?"

He glanced towards the massive figure, who roared again.

Archer calmly loaded his pistol.

"Not one I'd call worth watchin'," he continued.

"B-Berserker," came Alys's voice, as she trembled, "Wh-what's wrong? You're… you're not… this is…"

Ai couldn't figure out what to do. Should she help Alysvial? But Berserker was one of their most dangerous enemies. Archer, too, was an enemy, even if he had so recently been an ally against Caster…

Berserker raised his remaining hand, the axe gleaming.

"Uh-uh, I'm not lettin' her death be in vain," responded Archer. He quickly stepped back and out of range, and even the impact of Berserker's axe seemed weaker, doing less damage to the floor then it had before, at least insofar as Ai could tell. Ah… Saber wasn't moving, not unless she gave the word. She didn't know what to do in this situation, either.

"You can strike first, if you want," continued Archer, holstering his revolver as he did, "It won't matter, 'cause I'm faster."

"Master," Saber repeated, "What should we do? I know it, that's Archer's Noble Phantasm!"

She could tell too, there was no question of it, even as Berserker raised his axe. How could she respond to this?! Berserker wasn't a friend, neither was Archer. Alys was so innocent, though… but Assassin had sacrificed her life to defeat the little girl's Servant! What could she do? What was the right option!?

And the axe swung down, tearing through the air, but the power behind it was so much less…!

"Draw!"

Three shots rang out in an instant. They were nearly simultaneous, though not truly so. Even with how rapid they were, Ai could still hear that one followed the other. But she hadn't even seen Archer unholster his gun. It was almost as if it had suddenly flown into his hand, as if it had simply teleported. Such blinding speed…!

There was a flash of brilliant light, a sound like shattering glass… blue fragments seemed to scatter into the air as each bullet hit home, drilling themselves into Berserker's body!

The massive, dark-skinned figure hit one knee.

"B-Berserker!" cried Alys, suddenly running towards the hulking man as he fell to his side. Desperately, she grasped at one of his massive hands, even as he lay there. Ai could see it now, the impact of the shots had blown a hole clear through his body. Quietly, Saber took her hand off the hilt of her sword.

"… Master, don't blame yourself," said the girl samurai, "I… couldn't decide what we should do, either…"

"Berserker! Y-you'll live, right? You'll live!" sobbed the little girl, tears streaming down her face as she pulled at the huge man's finger.

Archer holstered his revolver, pulling the brim of his hat down as he did.

"Well, that's one victory I'm never gonna feel good about," he commented, simply, turning away as he spoke.

Alysvial desperately tugged at her Servant's had, but to no avail. The huge hole that had been blasted clear through his body was undeniably fatal, even for such a massive figure. Assassin's Noble Phantasm made sure of that. Even from this distance, Ai could tell just how much damage had been done to Berserker's body. She didn't need to ask Saber if it was fatal or not, she could tell on her own. The pale little girl was sobbing as she grasped at that massive hand, clutching it to herself. Berserker could only let out a rumbling noise, unable to even rise to his feet once more.

"Y-you can't die, you're the strongest!" came Alysvial's pleading voice. And, slowly, one of Berserker's enormous hands raised up… it was still working, just enough… to gently, carefully, place itself on the little girl's head, as if to pet her hair in a reassuring manner.

And then it fell with a dull thump.

Moments later, Berserker's body began to dissipate into golden light, fading away into nothingness as the heroic spirit summoned into the beastly class container left the world. In a single conflict, both Assassin and Berserker had been killed. Perhaps another Master would be overjoyed to know that two enemy Servants were dead, but witnessing this sight made it feel rather hollow. Alysvial was on her knees, sobbing into her hands over the death of Berserker, and Yukiko… Yukiko had stopped crying, but she was simply staring dully at the spot in which her Servant's body had once been.

Theomanius simply watched the aftermath of the battle quietly, with a grim expression.

But then, suddenly, Yukiko was on her feet, advancing towards Alysvial immediately. Her fan was unfurled, a strange light seeming to travel across its edge. It didn't take much thought to understand what she was about to do.

"Saber!" cried Ai, but her Servant was already moving. In a flash, the girl samurai closed the distance between herself and the kimono-clad former Master, even as she raised her fan. Her arm was effortlessly caught by one of Saber's hands, and the swordswoman forced Yukiko back firmly, causing the black-haired woman to stumble.

"Why?!" snapped Yukiko, the rage evident on her face and in her voice as Ai quickly tried to make her way closer, "She's the reason Assassin is dead! My part in this war is over, all because of her! Assassin is dead all because of her!"

"Assassin is dead because of Berserker," responded Saber, as she carefully placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, "Not because of Alysvial von Einzbern. Archer has already avenged Assassin's death. I cannot allow you to wreak your own misguided revenge on a child."

"A child?!" Yukiko practically snarled, "That child is an Einzbern homunculus! She's one of the most dangerous people left in the war! And she's the one who gave the orders! She's the one who wanted Assassin to die!"

It was plainly obvious that Yukiko was distraught, but that didn't simply make it okay for her to attack a little girl. Alysvial seemed to barely notice what was occurring around her, too upset to focus on anything but the fact that Berserker had perished.

Ai stepped forward, taking a deep breath. She had no idea how to respond to Yukiko, but she had to say something.

"… Even so… i-it's not like hurting Alys-chan would make Assassin come back, would it?" she asked, "This is… this is the Holy Grail War, so your Servant was prepared to die from the start if things went wrong… but Alys-chan isn't. She's… even if she's strong, it's wrong. It's wrong to hurt her."

Yukiko was about to speak, likely to snap again about how Alysvial had still given the order, but Saber cut her off.

"You joined this war with the understanding that your Servant could die," she asserted, "As did everyone else. But Alysvial is not a Servant, nor did she join this war with a full understanding of what it entailed. That is a crueler punishment for a child than anything you could do."

It was, wasn't it? Thrust into a battle like this… it had been clear from the start how little Alysvial understood the war, but just how much so hadn't been clear until they had spoken with her in her mansion. Alysvial had been placed in a battle to the death when she had not even been told what that truly entailed.

It wasn't as if she couldn't understand Yukiko's anger and sorrow, however, either. It was hard for her to imagine how she would feel if Saber had suffered a similar fate. But even so, attacking Alysvial, or even killing her… it wasn't something she could allow to happen.

"It's not only that," Saber continued, "But with Assassin and Berserker dead, neither of you are participating in the war any longer. Anything you did now would be the act of murder, nothing more and nothing less. Is this truly what you want, Shimada Yukiko?"

For the first time since she had approached Alysvial, Yukiko faltered. Had this fact not sunk in to her, before? It wasn't exactly surprising if it hadn't, given how distressed she was.

"I…" Yukiko's hand lowered, the glow fading from her fan as it did. But then, she was slowly raising her hand again…

"Shimada," came Theomanius's voice, "They're right. Harming Alysvial von Einzbern will get you nothing at this point. Even the most ruthless magus would acknowledge that."

Silently, Yukiko turned away. She said nothing else, instead quietly walking away from the scene. Soon enough, she had vanished into a nearby hallway, no longer visible.

Slowly, Ai's attention drifted back to Alysvial. The little girl was still on her knees, her trembling hands reaching out as if in hopes to somehow feel Berserker. But he was no longer there. Her eyes could tell her as much, and it was likely that the Einzbern girl knew this was the truth, but she so desperately wanted to believe anything else…

Ai hesitated. What could they do for her? While they did know her circumstances to some extent, they didn't really, truly know what her situation was in the event of her loss in the war. Would someone from her family come to pick her up? That's what Ai hoped, at least, but some part of her feared that would not be the case. After learning the Einzbern family had effectively tossed her into the war, and created her for such a purpose, the small brunette couldn't help but feel doubtful that Alysvial would be welcomed back after her loss.

She glanced towards Saber, who seemed uncertain as well. But neither of them could simply leave the little girl crying on her knees. After a moment's pause, Ai finally crouched beside the white-haired girl. At least being so short made it easy to get on the same level as her to speak with her directly. Slowly, Ai placed her hand on Alysvial's shoulder, doing her best to be reassuring.

"Alys-chan," she began, "Berserker would have wanted to keep you safe, wouldn't he? So… even if you're sad… you can't just stay here. It's not safe for you to stay here."

Alys didn't respond immediately. Instead, her face was still buried in her hands, and Ai could feel the way her small body was shaking with each sob, and each sharp intake of breath. Ai clenched her free hands, slightly. She hadn't known what to do, at all. All the Servants present had been enemies… It had just been so hard to figure out what she could have done. But… it was too late now, wasn't it? She had to do everything she could for Alys. She was a child, after all…

"Alys-chan?" said Saber, kneeling on the opposite side of the little girl, "… I know you have to be upset. Berserker and I were enemies, but I can tell how much trust and faith you had in him. If you just stayed here crying, is that what he could have wanted? You could be in danger here."

Slowly, Alys looked up from her wet palms, tears still trickling down her cheeks.

"B-b-but… B-Berserker… he…" she trembled, "H-he's g-g-gone…"

"I know, Alys-chan. But he would have wanted you to be safe, and you're not safe here," Saber continued, doing her best to give the little girl a smile. The immediate thought that occurred to Ai was that it would probably be safer to take the Einzbern girl to her own home, rather then the mansion, due to the fact that it had already been attacked recently. But that meant getting Alys up on her feet. It meant making sure that she was willing to go, in spite of how crushed she must be feeling.

"Berserker would be sad if you got hurt after all this, wouldn't he?" Ai added. That seemed to be getting through to Alysvial, if nothing else. "He worked so hard to protect you, so he would want you to get to safety as soon as possible."

There was a long period of silence. Ai wasn't certain how Alys would respond. The white-haired little girl kept glancing towards the spot that Berserker's body had once occupied without saying anything.

"B-Berserker…" stammered Alys, her voice trembling. "He… wouldn't want me to…"

Quietly, Ai took Alys's hand, and gently pulled the little girl to her feet. She didn't say anything, but she didn't resist, either. Ai glanced back towards Theomanius and Archer. The magus was watching them quietly, but doing nothing. Marion had appeared, now, and was quietly tugging at Archer's clothing, but the Servant idly patted her head. He hadn't appeared particularly pleased by the victory he had won here… Though after a few moments, he did indeed kneel to tell her it was okay.

As Saber, Alysvial, and Ai began to depart from the ruined apartment, Saber paused, and glanced back towards Archer.

"Archer…" she began, "That three round burst of shots, drawn at the peak of the enemy's strike… There's only one outlaw of the wild west known for such a technique."

Her silvery-gold eyes narrowed.

"Your identity is Billy the Kid, isn't it?"

For a few moments, the blonde boy looked somewhat surprised. Then, with a half-hearted chuckle, he scratch the back of his head, rising to his feet.

"Guilty as charged," he replied, simply, before glancing towards Alys, "… Make sure she gets someplace safe, right?"

Saber nodded, simply, and the three of them left the building. So Archer… Archer was Billy the Kid? That explained a lot about his capabilities. Someone who was famous for wielding a gun, and yet still achieved the position of a Servant… their skills would have to have been on a scale beyond almost any humans who existed after the invention of the weapons. As Ai understood it, simply killing with a gun was not enough to achieve a position as a heroic spirit, because guns made killing others so much easier. Someone who was famous for their use of the gun would have to exceed all others, to be a name that stood at the paramount of marksmanship. That meant that Saber's conclusion, that the cowboy Servant was Billy the Kid, was only natural even without considering the exact traits of his Noble Phantasm. With that in consideration, it became something unquestionable.

That being said, there were other matters to attend to now.

Alys's hand clutched her own more tightly. For a brief moment of self-deprecating levity, Ai considered the fact that the three of them looked more like a pair of grade school children being guided along by a highschooler then anything else. But for the most part, she was simply glad that Alys had agreed to come with them.

The little girl was silent, and neither Ai nor Saber said much of anything either. There wasn't much more that could be said, now.

For a brief moment, Ai felt as if she was being watched… but just as quickly, the sensation vanished.

More than anything else, they had to get Alys home.

* * *

Everything had gone just as he had hoped.

Hirata Genjiro's plan had been tailored to wipe out at least Assassin, or Berserker. He had been hopeful that the both of them would be killed, but hopeful wasn't enough. The results, however, spoke for themselves. Two Servants were dead, and now only four remained. He had predicted the Einzbern homunculus's reaction quite accurately, and it was with satisfaction that he watched Assassin's fatal injury and suicide and the following death of Berserker. On top of that, Archer's identity had been revealed. By this point, almost every Servant's identity had been revealed. Even including his own, to his dismay, but now everything was on a more even playing field.

The only exception was Saber. Rider had implied that she knew, but it was information she had refused to disclose to Genjiro, to his frustration. Rider had continually proven to be more of a nuisance than anything, even considering her high level of power and capabilities. Her habit of doing whatever she wanted at any given time was frustrating at best.

For the moment, however, there were other matters on the man's mind. Matsushita Ai, Saber, and Alysvial von Einzbern had departed from the ruined apartment… That was one of the few things that had gone wrong. Ideally, Alysvial would be left alone and in an emotionally distressed state. Her capabilities as a magus were incredibly high, but in such a state she would be far less capable of using them to defend herself.

He'd intended to quickly kill her, eliminate any remaining threat she posed to his bid for victory. However, now that the Einzbern homunculus was accompanied by Saber, that plan was made considerably more difficult and unnecessarily risky. While he was certain of his skills when it came to quickly kill a human, a Servant was something entirely different. Trying to engage them now would be suicidal, as Saber would unquestionably win.

So instead, Genjiro observed them, in order to keep tabs on their movements and where they were headed. He could have guessed it would be to the Matsushita estate, but certainty was an important thing if he were to plan a later attempt at an assassination. Or, perhaps, to directly assault the mansion with Rider. Given that it would be guarded by Saber, personally attempting to kill the homunculus seemed like a foolish endeavor. But attacking with Rider and using that as cover, perhaps…

For the moment there was no real time to focus on future plans. It was getting to the point that tailing the three girls was growing more risky then it was worth. Saber's senses were finely-tuned, making it a challenge to avoid detection. As a result, Genjiro broke off of his covert pursuit, instead taking a different course away from them, through the alleyways. Even if he had been unable to kill the Einzbern homunculus, the fact was that this was absolutely a satisfying victory. Rider, if she cooperated, could proceed to eliminate the remaining Servants with her chariot. Being too confident was dangerous, but at the very least he knew his Servant was capable of that much.

Genjiro would take a carefully-planned pathway back to his place of residence. It would be indirect, designed to throw off potential pursuers. His apartment wasn't exactly the best place to hold as a defensible position, after all. Rather, it had been chosen for its subtlety.

Genjiro had to win the grail. For the sake of the lives of every human being in the world, it was absolutely necessary. Therefore, there was nothing he would not do in order to achieve this goal. Killing the Einzbern homunculus was just another step to ensuring that this goal would come to its fruition. It was a consideration for the danger that she posed, even if it would be possible to achieve victory without killing her the fact remained that she was powerful enough to pose a direct threat to his path to victory.

So Genjiro had to remove her, if he could. There could be no risks to his victory, it was as simple as that.

The tall man dropped from the low rooftop, carefully landing in the isolated alleyway below. Reinforcing his legs ensured they would be unharmed by the impact, and he was careful to dull the sound of his fall as he landed. He did not believe that Saber or her Master would currently be capable of noticing his presence, but there was no reason not to be cautious.

And then, he heard it.

It was an odd sound, almost like something dripping. The repeated patter of some liquid on the hard ground. But it was not raining, and there was no clear source for the sound. For a few moments, the man was completely silent.

The sound had suddenly come from behind him…

Genjiro turned.

The sight that greeted him was that of a young woman, her skin deathly pale and her hair white, with golden eyes. She seemed to drift off of the ground about a meter. Beside her floated a cube, colored with unusual purples, blacks, and browns. It was open, near the top, the tiniest sliver, oozing a black mud that was dripping onto the concrete. There were faint tones of red seeming to glisten inside of the substance…

It was… familiar… it was…!

That night in Fuyuki City.

All those years ago.

The great flames, the conflagration that had killed so many people. The devastation that he had survived against all odds…

The very same black mud that had spawned that disaster was now what flowed from that box.

Genjiro could feel his heartbeat grow faster, as he eyed the seething blackness as it dripped onto the concrete.

But it was not from fear.

He could remember it. Remember the heat and fire around him. Remember the sight of people dying, the distant glimpse of a young boy with red hair wandering lost through the fire, unable to comprehend what had happened.

He could remember how he felt that day.

It didn't make sense to him, for a moment, how glad he felt. But then he realized it. The fact that he had survived such a horrible catastrophe… it was proof that his existence had meaning, that his life was one with value. The same went for that boy whom he had glimpsed. The same went for anyone else who had managed to survive.

It had become a memory he truly cherished, for it was the day that let him know he had worth.

Why would he not strive to do the same for others?

This mud had been what Genjiro strived for. The reason that he had to win the war at all costs was to bring about its return. If he could give others this sense of self-worth, every single death he had ever brought about, every single deception, it would all be worth it. He had never once looked back on any of it and thought that it wasn't worth it. In fact, given his goals, he'd even enjoyed it, though he had never let that cloud his judgement. And now… now that same black mud was pouring from the box drifting beside this…

Was she a Servant?

She had to be. Her nature was certainly not that of an ordinary human, to say the least. But each Servant was accounted for. Caster had been killed in the forest, Assassin and Berseker had just perished in the apartment. Saber, Lancer, and of course Rider were all accounted for. So that left no-one… had an eighth Servant somehow been summoned, all along? If that was the case, just who was she, that gave her access to the black mud that could subsume everything with fire? To be able to use something like that at will…

"Hirata Genjiro," came her voice. It was soft, and almost sounded gentle, "I can see… I chose to speak to the right person, of all the Masters in this 'Holy Grail War'."

She'd wanted to speak to him… Genjiro could guess at the reason why. Did she see through him, and understand what he wished for humanity? But even now, he had to remind himself that he must exercise caution. He did not know what this Servant intended, even if she wielded the mud that had proven his worth. He had to find out what was going on.

"Who… who are you?" he asked, eyes drifting across the Servant. She was… beautiful, and yet somehow incredibly unearthly. While her body exhibited no strange deformities, and in most respects she retained a human appearance, the paleness of her skin, the whiteness of her hair, the shade of gold that her eyes exhibited… it all came together to give an appearance that did not seem to be of this world.

"Servant Avenger," she replied, simply. Avenger… an irregular class summoned outside of the standard seven? That explained how she had appeared in spite of the others being fully accounted for… She simply wasn't being summoned into the same class container as any of the others. But who had summoned an eighth Servant…? If there was an eighth Servant, that meant there had to be an eighth Master.

"My Master is perfectly capable of supplying me with mana," continued Avenger, her soft voice now almost without inflection or emotion, "But she cannot serve as a proper support. I have sought an alliance with another Master as a result… so that I may claim victory."

She raised one hand towards the box, and her lips slowly curled into a small smile.

"I am certain you understand why I have extended this offer to you, Hirata Genjiro."

Was her intent… did her desires fall in line with Genjiro's own? To unleash the black mud upon the world, and to leave everyone who survived with their own sense of self-worth, just as it had happened to himself… was that what she desired from the Holy Grail? If so, if that was the case, then there was no question of this alliance. He absolutely had to accept, there was no way that Genjiro would ever reject such a proposal. It could not be any more perfect.

But even now, he had to ask a few questions.

"Is your Master aware of this?" he asked.

"My Master is not capable of cooperating with me during battle," responded Avenger, cocking her head slightly to one side, "Instead, she is being kept somewhere safe and isolated. She is completely unaware of what I am doing now."

So her Master was being used as a battery, more than anything else? Did that mean that she had not intended to summon a Servant such as a Avenger? It would be difficult to analyze the intent behind this Servant's summoning under current conditions, but that black mud… It was less difficult to judge Avenger's motivations.

If Genjiro could use this path to achieve the goal of bathing the world in this mud, to grant what remained of humanity true self-worth, there could be no more hesitation.

"Avenger, you can consider our alliance sealed," he responded, "You chose to approach me and did not attack, even when you could have destroyed me in an instant. And…"

Genjiro found himself feeling almost gleeful.

"That black mud…"

Avenger's smile slowly widened.

"This is truly why I approached a man such as yourself, Hirata Genjiro," she commented, her lips parting into a grin. Moments ago she had seemed almost devoid of emotion, but now… "Surely, there is no-one in this war more suited to being my ally then one such as yourself."

Yes… no-one else in the war understood what truths that black mud could offer to them. It was the ultimate way to grant oneself a feeling of worthiness. Before, his life had been a listless one, but when he survived the fire that raged in Fuyuki… he had become something more due to the understanding he had obtained.

"Be ready to provide me assistance, Hirata Genjiro," said Avenger, "I shall make my move to bring this war to a close quite soon."

With that, the Avenger-class Servant faded away, her body dissipating into golden light as she assumed spirit form.

Soon after, Genjiro had made his way out of the alleyway. Even with the almost rapturous joy he had experienced upon seeing the black mud once more, he did not forget to take an indirect path towards his apartment. There was nothing that could shake his sense of strategy, even now.

But it was difficult to hide his own excitement. After all these years, he had seen it again, at last…

And with Avenger's appearance…

He no longer needed Rider.


	13. Chapter 13

When they had arrived at the Matsushita mansion, Alysvial was still being quiet. Ai had done her best to quickly explain to her maids what was occurring, and why she had suddenly brought a little girl home. Thankfully, they were quick to understand, as usual, and swiftly went about preparing a guest room for Alysvial. Marianne had tried to offer the white-haired child food, but she had refused. It wasn't exactly surprising, given what she had just gone through. But if she wasn't going to eat, was it for the best to try and get her ready for bed? For that matter, Ai had to get into contact with Alysvial's maids as well… especially after what had happened, they had to be worried…

But that could wait until tomorrow. For now, they just had to make sure that Alysvial got some rest. After the emotional exhaustion she'd gone through, it would do no good for her to be physically exhausted as well from failing to get any sleep. Normally, Ai would be somewhat dismayed that her pajamas fit the little girl pretty much perfectly, but right now it was more important to make sure she got to sleep rather than worrying about anything like that.

Eventually, even Alysvial's emotional state couldn't keep her awake much longer, and she nodded off. By that point, it was already quite late. Even if they hadn't had to keep an eye on the little girl, Ai would have been in no position to go out and search for more clues. Staying up to make sure Alysvial got to sleep had ended up leaving Ai quite exhausted as well. For that matter, there was still the preparations for Rider to be considered… Once Saber had gone to keep watch, the short brunette went to go to bed as well.

So much had happened, so quickly… both Assassin and Berserker were dead. That meant that there were only four remaining Servants in the Holy Grail War. Or… was it five? Had the eighth been summoned at all? They still didn't know… But going off of what Ai knew for certain, that left Archer, Rider, and Lancer. Lancer… was an ally, for now. Ai knew that this would change, it was simply how the Holy Grail War worked. But it didn't have to change until the very end, when Saber and Lancer could have a duel on their terms. That was what they wanted, it was what Ai hoped for, and she knew that Tsubaki wanted it as well.

It was difficult to feel any kind of satisfaction at the death of Assassin and Berserker, though… Assassin had killed herself in order to allow Archer to kill Berserker, and Berserker's death had completely broken Alysvial down and left her a sobbing wreck. There was no way of knowing how the other Masters would take it, but she had a feeling that it would be hard for anyone to celebrate after seeing something like that. For that matter, Shimada had been sobbing, too… When Ai had first seen her, it was difficult to imagine the refined, kimono-clad woman even showing her tears, but now…

Ai ended up lying there, awake, for quite some time, thinking about what had occurred that day.

Eventually, Ai did fall asleep, but it was quite a bit later then she had intended.

As a result, she woke up rather late, blearily going about her morning routine as she did. But today… today was when they planned to meet Rider and lay out the terms of their battle. She had to be ready as soon as she could be, but she also had to make sure that Alysvial was doing well. The little girl had woken up, and while she hadn't said much, at least she'd eaten breakfast.

"… Alys-chan, we need to get into contact with your servants," Ai said, after breakfast, sitting near the red-eyed child, "Can you allow one of my maids to enter your mansion and speak with them?"

After a few moments, Alysvial nodded slowly. She seemed a little brighter after having something to eat, but it was far too much to expect her to be fully recovered from Berserker's death so quickly. It was enough that Alysvial seemed to understand the importance of letting Ai's maids enter mansion, at least. After some consideration, Ai decided to send Charlotte, rather than Marianne, and the maid quietly departed. She would likely be able to explain the situation well enough and put the Einzbern maids at ease.

But now… now Ai had to talk to Saber. The silvery-haired Servant was standing nearby, keeping an eye on Alysvial to make sure she was doing well for the moment. Saber was even good with children… but as she recalled, the girl samurai was known for being just the same in life, wasn't she? When Marianne came back to ask if Alysvial wanted a snack, both Ai and her Servant left the room. It probably wasn't a good idea to talk about the Holy Grail War around the Einzbern girl, after all. They didn't need to go reminding her about what happened yesterday.

"So… so today is when we're going to make the proposal to Rider, then?" asked Ai, after taking a deep breath. Rather then dwelling on yesterday, she had decided it was best to try and focus on the upcoming meeting, and fight. After all, Saber had said it was better to try and focus on the path

Saber nodded.

"I think I'm going to ask to fight in that clearing in the forest, where we fought the Quilled Boar," Saber asked, "There's plenty of room there, so I'll be able to keep maneuvering around her!"

It made perfect sense. The plan they'd had in place was best suited to an area where Saber could evade for a long period of time and keep Rider from noticing she was doing anything strange. A large clearing would allow her to keep moving even considering Rider's ability to stay in pursuit. On top of that, it would be easier for Saber to disrupt the battlefield in a clear area.

"That sounds like it would be for the best," replied Ai, with a nod, at least feeling confident that the selection Saber had made for the battlefield was the right one, "I can't think of anywhere else that would be both out of the way and have enough room to stay away from her chariot."

Indeed, not only was it a location that allowed for a great deal of maneuverability, but it would also make for a relatively secretive battlefield that would not have a risk of collateral damage when Lancer utilized her Noble Phantasm. Doing something like that in the middle of town, even in the dead of night, would be far too noticeable and dangerous to the residents of Minami. No matter how scared Ai was of the prospect of fighting Rider again, she could see, in theory, how something like this could work. It was not the plan itself she felt could fail, nor was it her Servant's capabilities. Rather, it was the possibility that anything could go wrong at any time that frightened the short brunette.

But… she had to support her Servant however she could, so she couldn't allow herself to become too distracted! She had to focus, for Saber's sake! And yet… there was just one thing she had to talk about, when it came to what had happened yesterday…

"… But… um…" Ai trailed off for a moment, hesitantly, "… Saber, do you think… do you think that Shimada-san and Alys-chan are going to be okay?"

For a few moments, the platinum blonde girl was silent.

"… It's hard to say," she responded, finally, "I don't know Shimada-san, I don't know how she'll try to cope with it… It's not as if I don't know how it is to lose a comrade, even if this is a war where you have to be prepared for it. But I don't think she was ready for it…"

She trailed off for a moment, with a sigh.

"I think we might be helping Alys-chan, though!" declared the Servant, brightly. She was always being as positive as she possibly could, really. It was, honestly, something that Ai admired about her Servant. The ability to keep an upbeat attitude like that… "She seemed a little bit brighter after she ate. It's going to take time, but I think she'll be okay!"

Ai hoped that would be the case.

"Sometimes I wonder if you have some kind of positivity skill, Saber," Ai commented, with a somewhat weak laugh, "No matter what happens, you always seem to bounce back! It's like a superpower, eh-heheh…"

"Really, Master?" asked Saber, looking somewhat surprised, "I… don't think I was summoned with a skill like that… it's just that… the best path to victory is always to look forward. Even if I'm just a manslayer, I know that letting myself fall into despair doesn't help anyone. So I have to keep my head up and keep fighting, no matter who my enemies are or where the battlefield is. If I didn't, I'd be letting you down."

To think that she could so easily remain positive just keeping that in mind… Maybe it really was one of the reasons that she qualified to be a heroic spirit.

"It's really amazing, Saber…"

But that was enough time spent dwelling on Saber's capability to keep herself optimistic. Ai nodded to herself, firmly, reminding herself of what needed to be done today. After all, they had to make sure they arranged the battle before Rider decided to come after them again. There wouldn't be much point to the arrangement if the enemy in question just attacked them out of the blue. And given the reduced number of opponents…

Even if Rider hadn't had any sort of special interest in Saber, the reduced number of opponents made them a far more likely target. As a result, they had to act quickly. No matter how concerned Ai was about the outcome, the small brunette was keeping herself focused on what needed to be done.

"But, um…" Ai began, attempting to get herself back on track, "Is there anything else we need to do before we go after Rider?"  
Saber looked thoughtful, for a moment.

"Well, I still don't know how to get into contact with her, before anything else," she responded, "We need to make sure that she's actually going to meet up with us. If we don't do that, we can't even get started on executing our plan."

For a moment, Ai wasn't completely sure how to resolve this. They had no way of knowing where Queen Medb was currently located. She could be anywhere, after all. And that didn't even account for the fact that she could be using spirit form. However… knowing how Rider behaved, Ai doubted she would be using spirit form very much, at least. She hardly seemed like the type that would ever choose to hide away. It simply didn't fall in line with her legend, or the behavior she had exhibited so far. So that more than likely meant she would be walking around openly, neither using spirit form nor hiding away in some hidden location.

If that were the case…

"Saber, couldn't I use my familiars to find her?" asked Ai, "Um, I don't think someone like Rider would ever be hiding away, so that means it shouldn't take too long. Rider is hard to miss."

In fact, at this point, Ai believed Rider would most likely be offended if someone somehow failed to notice her. She'd opened the war by introducing herself by name, after all.

"That's right!" exclaimed Saber, "Master, your familiars are so useful! And cute!"

"Eh-heheh…"

Ai scratched the back of her head. She couldn't exactly deny the fact that part of her motivation behind the way she had decided on basing her familiars on cats was because they would be unintimidating and cute, as well as rather easily-hidden. No-one really paid any attention to a stray cat or two.

Even a single one of her familiars was capable of covering the city much more quickly then Ai herself was. Rather then utilize all of them at once, as a sudden huge mob of cats zeroing in on Rider's location would be far too noticeable for anyone, let alone a Servant. But one or two tailing her for a little while and then disappearing… well, even a Servant wouldn't think anything of that, would they? That's what Ai hoped, at least. Now all that was left was for her to summon her familiars to her side and send them on their way.

"So um, Saber, can you open the door?" Ai asked, "My familiars might be able to do a lot of things, but they can't just pass through walls."

Saber nodded, and quickly made her way to the door. Almost immediately, several cats rushed inside, immediately stopping and sitting at Ai's feet. Glancing towards her Servant, Ai could see the way the girl samurai's eyes shown at the sight of her cats again… Saber could go from being completely serious to being like this so quickly, it was almost difficult to comprehend for the short brunette. But it was just another thing she liked about Saber…

Taking a deep breath, focusing on the task ahead, Ai knelt in front of her familiars. She did her best to give a detailed description of Queen Medb's appearance. That was another thing about Rider that made this plan somewhat easier: Her features were very distinctive. Her gold eyes(though Ai's were a somewhat similar shade), pink hair, beautiful looks… Certainly, Ai didn't have trouble understanding why Medb was such a successful seductress in her legend given her looks. That being said, she was also completely terrifying as an enemy. But all the familiars needed to know was how Rider looked.

Once they'd been given that information, the cats swiftly set out from the mansion once more, with Saber watching them as they left. The rest of Ai's familiars would still be searching for any clues about the Atlas base and Yumimura Saori, but this set of three would be focused wholly on locating Rider as quickly as possible. If there was one thing that Ai felt some confidence in, it was her familiars' ability to locate things. They'd proven themselves when it came to Caster's sigils, and obviously a person was easier to find then something like that.

Now all they could do, however, was wait.

That prospect hardly helped Ai's nerves. She was already feeling incredibly apprehensive, but the idea of simply sitting there and waiting for news on Rider's location was making it even worse. Not to mention the fact that her mind was drifting back to the events of the previous day once more, in spite of Saber's advice to try and look ahead towards the next fight rather than dwell on the past. It was so difficult not to. The look on Shimada's face, Alys's tears… How could she keep those out of her mind? She knew she had to. Not because it was good idea to simply forget. Ai had no intention of forgetting them. But because, just as Saber said, focusing on the fight and thinking in about how to win was the best way to claim victory.

It was much more difficult to do that then it sounded.

"… Saber, how do you do it?" she asked, finally.

"Eh? What do you mean?" asked the platinum blonde swordswoman, tilting her head to one side.

"I can't keep the images of what happened yesterday out of my head…" replied Ai, her head drooping. Even now, the visage of Shimada's rage and sorrow was playing in her mind. Then Alys's tears again… "I just… I… I don't want to see something l-like that happen again, I…"

"… Neither do I, Master," replied Saber, "But in a battle, it doesn't matter who's fighting. I don't think about things like that. This is the Holy Grail War, a fight where only one Servant and one Master can stand at the end. Assassin… her death was one she conducted with honor, knowing she would save her Master. Berserker died fighting too. It doesn't make these things happy occurrences. The best way for a Servant's second life to end is to know that they fought their hardest and did everything they could for their Master."

The pale girl took a deep breath.

"We all know this is a second, borrowed life, a chance at achieving something we couldn't when we were alive," she continued, "It's not like you can be happy about being defeated, but even to have that chance is something that seems impossible. So we have to take every single opportunity we have to use it. To fight as hard as we can. To strive for victory. It's borrowed time, with a transient body, so we need to use it as best as we can."

Ai nodded, slowly. All of that made sense… and struck to her heart. Borrowed time, a transient body… What would happen, even if they won? A Servant was summoned to fight for the Holy Grail, nothing more or less… did that mean…

"… B-but… why… why does that make it easy for you to stay so positive?" the small brunette asked, stammering slightly.

"Well… this is a second chance, and there's a goal I want to obtain, too. There's a wonderful Master I'm proud to serve," Saber responded, with a smile, "I'd like it if any Servants who conducted themselves honorably come to an honorable end, and… it's not like I can feel happy about what happened to Assassin and Berserker. But if I don't look ahead, how can I serve you well and obtain my wish, Master?"

So that was what it came down to? Just remembering that it was the only way to win, to keep pushing forward? Saber really was an incredible person… no wonder she had obtained such a reputation in life, if she was able to focus so perfectly no matter how deadly a conflict it was that she was involved in.

"I still don't know if I feel like I'm worthy of being called a wonderful Master, or anything like that," replied Ai, scratching the back of her head as she averted her eyes. She had a hard time, admittedly, understanding what was so wonderful about her as a Master, but it seemed like Saber thought it was the case, and she'd explained before what she meant… so if Saber believed it was the case, even if Ai didn't, she had to do her best to live up to that belief, didn't she? It only made sense… "But… if that's what you think, even after all this time… that's what I have to try and be."

"You're too hard on yourself, Master," replied Saber, "You don't have to try to be a wonderful Master, you just have to keep being what you've been the whole time…"

Ah…

When Saber said things like that, it just… It was just… She felt so…

"… S-Saber, I…"

It was at that moment that the door to the dining hall suddenly opened. Feeling like a hot knife suddenly sliced through her train of thought, Ai nearly jumped and turned on her heel towards the now-open doorway. There, eyes still somewhat downcast, was Alysvial.

Saber reacted before Ai could, approaching the little girl and kneeling down in front of her.

"Hey, Alys-chan, how are you feeling?" she asked. It might have seemed obviously, but it was probably for the best to ask her, anyway… Ai really hoped that the little girl's mood had improved at least a little. She didn't expect her to just bounce back immediately after what she had experienced, but at least she could hope Alys had recovered a little.

The little girl didn't say anything for a few moments, fidgeting a little and looking down towards her feet.

"… Thank you…" Alysvial mumbled, still looking down towards the floor, "I don't… I don't know what to do, Berserker was… you…"  
She trailed off again. As Ai approached, Saber gave Alysvial a warm smile and petted the top of her head, doing her best to be reassuring.

"There's no need to thank us, Alys-chan," the girl samurai replied, stroking the little girl's silky white hair with her hand as she spoke, "There's no way we could have left you alone."

Alysvial wiped one of her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling slightly as she did. It was obvious to Ai that the memory of Berserker's death was still fresh in her mind. Given the fact that the small brunette had a hard time keeping it out of her head, it was no surprise that the little girl couldn't stop thinking about it. Frankly, Ai was still struggling to think of ways to help the Einzbern girl recover. It wasn't something that a good meal and a warm bed could help her with, she would have to recover naturally. Certainly good treatment would help, but it wasn't enough on its own.

After all, Ai knew herself how hard it could be to deal with the loss of someone close to her. Berserker must have felt like a guardian… Given she was a homunculus, it was most likely she never had anyone who she could call a proper parent. Even the wordless, hulking figure of Berserker was someone she was able to look up to as a sort of father figure. After all, the old man she had mentioned previously hardly seemed to be the fatherly sort, when he was responsible for her involvement in the war in the first place.

So it was as if she had lost a parent. Ai wanted to say she knew how something like that could feel, but… she didn't know how well Alysvial would take it. The day she learned her parents had died had been… strange, it felt like she was looking at someone else's life from an outside perspective. Like she hadn't really been there. It had been a while since she last saw them, and looking back on it now it had become obvious that it was because of the Holy Grail War. They had died unable to say goodbye to her, in a fight she hadn't known anything about. Ai remembered a strange numbness overcoming her when she learned of the news.

Afterwards, she had just gone to sit in her room, silently. It had been a long time before the fact that her parents died really sank in for her, before she was truly able to understand that she was alone now, that she would never see her parents' faces again. When it finally reached her, when Ai finally understood, she couldn't contain herself and broke down sobbing. She had cried for hours, alone in her room, with no-one to comfort her. And indeed, for quite some time, she had remained isolated and alone.

It was only quite recently that the small brunette's situation had changed at all.

And so, Ai couldn't allow this to happen to anyone else. The memory of being alone with her sadness was too painful, she couldn't allow Alysvial to suffer like that. She approached the little girl with a smile on her face. She had to comfort her, and do whatever she could.

"Alys-chan, we're going to have to go later," she began, "But until then, Saber and I are going to spend the whole day with you. You won't have to be alone, okay? Charlotte-san is going to talk to your maids, and I'm sure some of them will be willing to come here and stay with you, too. But right now, the both of us are going to make sure that everything is alright."

For once, there wasn't a hint of hesitation in the short magus's voice. She was sure this was something that she had to do, no matter what. Alysvial deserved to have someone to comfort her, after she had been thrown into the fire like this. Ai wouldn't let another little girl suffer loss alone.

It was the only right thing that could be done.

"A-ah…?" Alysvial stammered, trembling as she did, "But… but I was supposed to… to end the war… with Berserker…"

She trailed off again, after mentioning her Servant.

"He probably didn't say much, but do you think Berserker would have wanted you to be alone?" asked Saber, petting the little girl's hair again, "If he cared about your wellbeing, there's no way that's the case. My Master is right, we won't leave you alone with nothing but sadness for company."

The way that Saber spoke about it, it was if she knew exactly what Ai had been talking about, even though she was such an upbeat person. Ah… but that was right, wasn't it? If the small brunette remembered the story of Okita Souji correctly…

Without even considering the way in which her life had ended, there was plenty of reason for her to understand dealing with such loss alone.

But right now, in the time they had before her familiar returned, Ai wanted to stay by Alysvial's side and try and help her recover a little. That was one of the most important things they could do today, aside from arranging the fight with Rider.

"… I… u-um… I… I d-didn't think…" Alysvial trembled for a few moments, then fell silent again. "… Thank you…"

If nothing else, it was a start.

From that point on, the day could have been called relatively uneventful. Alysvial was still hardly in an emotional state where she was ready to do much of anything, so it was mostly a matter of making sure she was doing well enough, and getting her to tell Marianne what she wanted to lunch. Eventually, Charlotte returned, explaining that Alysvial's maids acknowledged what had occurred and several of them had begun to prepare for making the move to the Matsushita estate for the time being. Ai was hopeful that having some of her servants around, whom she certainly seemed to care about, would help Alysvial recover somewhat more quickly.

If nothing else, the small brunette was glad everything had gone well. It was undeniable that Alysvial von Einzbern and herself had met as enemies in the Holy Grail War, but now the homunculus was simply a scared, sad little girl, and there was no way Ai could see her as anything else. Spending more time around her simply reaffirmed this to be the case. It had already become something she felt no doubt about when she went to Alysvial's mansion and had tea with her. Thankfully, the news that some of her maids would be coming here seemed to make Alysvial a little happier, too.

She didn't say anything much about it, but at the same time she simply seemed to brighten up and become somewhat more active and talkative. It was hardly enough to greatly improve the white-haired little girl's mood, but it was more progress.

Just as before, Saber was proving how good she was with children, as well. She was so very gentle and kind towards Alysvial, that it made the fact that the girl samurai claimed she was nothing but a manslayer even more outrageous. How could someone like that ever call herself a manslayer and nothing else? How could someone so beautiful and kind say that about themselves? It just seemed so wrong to Ai.

Indeed, Saber was far, far too lovely and good-natured to think of herself in such a way.

Alysvial, too, seemed to be taking to Saber's treatment of her. Even if she was, of course, still in a state of mourning, the Einzbern girl seemed to like being around the swordswoman. Anything that looked like it was helping with Alysvial's recovery was good news.

No matter how important it was to ensure that the little girl wasn't alone, however, as the day went on Ai found herself glancing out the window again and again. The apprehension was growing, no matter how she tried to focus on consoling Alysvial. She was wondering when she'd get news on Rider's location, wondering if the talk about setting up a battle between Saber and Rider would go well… But she had to try and focus on one thing at a time, and she had to try and focus on success.

It was quite late in the day, now, the sun sinking over the horizon and casting longer and longer shadows by the moment.

"Is there anything you'd like for dinner, Alys-chan?" Ai asked. The little girl was sitting on one of the large, fluffy couches that adorned the main sitting room of the Matsushita mansion, beside Saber and across from Ai herself.

"… Anything is fine…" mumbled Alysvial. It was a bit too much to expect from her to be too engaged so soon, "As long as it tastes good…"

"Marianne-san has never cooked anything that doesn't taste good," responded Saber, with a smile towards the little girl, "So that's not a problem! I'm sure that she can cook anything, too, so if you do have anything in mind you can tell me, and I'll let her know."

"… U-um…" Alysvial hesitated for a moment, "Then… maybe…"

Before she could hear what Alysvial had to say, Ai could suddenly feel it. Through the connection via her mana to her familiars, she could feel the presence of one of the cats she had sent to find Rider! Shooting to her feet, to the surprise of both her Servant and Alys, Ai swiftly turned on her heel and made her way to the door. Without another moment of hesitation, she pulled it open, and Saber shot to her feet, too.

"… I'm sorry, Alys-chan," Saber said, behind her, "Let Marianne-san know what you'd like for dinner, and your maids should be here soon too."

"Ah…"

But it wasn't as if Alys was completely unaware of the Holy Grail War. She had been a participant, after all. It was easy for her to understand just what matter had suddenly interrupted them.

The moment that Ai had opened the door, one of her familiars swiftly came bounding in.

There wasn't any further delay. While Ai had not designed her familiars with the capability of speech, that wasn't required for them to be able to convey the necessary information. Just as a Servant could speak with their Master even though they were currently in spirit from via a mental connection formed by their contract, Ai's familiars were capable of conveying words and images to her via a similar link. There was no need for words, all they had to do was make even a brief moment of eye contact. In moments they would know exactly where Rider was hanging around! The short brunette was both excited, and afraid. They had to take on Medb, after all, but at the same time what if something went wrong when it came to arranging the battle?

But… she had to…

The moment she looked into the cat familiar's eyes, the information was given to her. The clear image of the pink-haired Rider, present near… the shopping district? That was it! She was near the shopping district! Near that café they'd gone to with Tsubaki! It had already closed, but that was no reason why Rider wouldn't be in the area.

"Master?" asked Saber, as she approached Ai and her familiar. The small magus rose to her feet once more.

"Saber, she's at the shopping district, by that café!" declared Ai, "Are… are we going now?"

Saber nodded, swiftly.

Now was the time to arrange the fight. If they missed this chance, it was quite possible that Rider would attack them again and it would be much more difficult to take her on. Ai understood that Tsubaki's plan was the best possible way to take Rider down, but that didn't make her any less nervous. Still…

"Alys-chan… we'll be back later," she called to the Einzbern girl. She saw Alysvial slowly nod.

With that, Ai and her Servant swiftly made their way out the doorway. They couldn't delay any longer.

With this, they could arrange the final conflict with Rider and have Lancer destroy her chariot, allowing them to take her on when she couldn't use the advantage of one of her Noble Phantasms! The walk to the shopping district wasn't too long, which meant that if Rider was simply spending her time leisurely, as appeared to be the case, she likely would still be in the area.

It wasn't as if she was hard to spot. Queen Medb would stand out completely of her own volition.

By now, Ai didn't even need to take the lead, Saber knew her way to the shopping district all on her own, just as well. By the time they arrived, Ai was worrying that Rider had already left again, even though the both of them made their way there as fast as they possibly could. By this point of the day, the streets were growing more and more empty as the sun sank lower and lower, a sliver of light over the horizon. But they had to catch up to Rider as quickly as they possibly could.

As it turned out, all the rushing wasn't necessary. When they finally spotted Queen Medb, she was seated with her legs crossed on the edge of a fountain. It was almost surreal how casual and relaxed she looked, right in the middle of the Holy Grail War. She was even dressed in casual wear, a short-sleeved white dress shirt and a short black skirt, some kind of orange-red drink in one hand. Ai couldn't help but notice she didn't see anyone else in the immediate area, as well, and was suddenly struck with worry. Had Rider noticed her familiar…?

"… Oh, I knew I sensed another presence," Rider commented, casually, leaning back to support herself on one hand. Her long pink hair was tied back in a lengthy ponytail. "Hello there, Saber~"

Medb smiled, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"… We're here to talk, Rider," Saber said, taking a step forward.

"Oh~? I guessed as much," responded Rider, with a giggle, "There's plenty I'd much rather do with you then talk, but sadly I haven't made you mine yet."

It was basically what the both of them had come to expect of the enemy Servant. Her shamelessly flirtatious attitude was on display now just as much as it was during any other encounter.

"… This…" Ai hesitated for a moment, "This is the Holy Grail War, Rider. Sooner or later, we'll have to fight, so… so…"

Rider cocked her head to one side, still smiling playfully, as Ai trailed off. She wasn't sure what to say, and just looking at Rider made her even more nervous than she had already been. Something about her mannerisms, seeing her in this situation rather than in battle, it just… it wasn't just because she was beautiful. Rider seemed to have this aura of sorts surrounding her… It was as if there was something ethereal about her… was it a Servant skill?

Saber didn't seem effected by it, at least…

"So…? My my, you seemed so bold when you confronted the other Masters after Caster was defeated, too, Matsushita Ai," commented Rider, smiling brightly, "But don't worry, it's not as if I'm surprised to see someone get tongue-tied in my presence, fufu…"  
Embarrassed, Ai found herself averting her eyes. It hadn't been like this when there was a fight, but now…

"Rider," Saber said again, stepping forward once more, "There are only a few Servants left in the war, and we all know of one another. I don't think there's any reason to remain waiting for the next ambush."

"Oh? So what is it that you're proposing, Saber?" asked Rider, smiling with amusement, her attention taken off of Ai for the moment.

"That we arrange a battle. We're both figures of legend from human history, so I think it's only fair to allow us to have a final battle on fair terms," responded Saber. For how silly she could sometimes be, such as misunderstanding some of the things Ai said and when she thought that that getting a chance to kill ghosts was cool, Saber could be quite serious and composed at times like this…

"Oh, so Saber wants some alone time with me? Fufufufu~" the pink-haired queen stuck her tongue out again, playfully, "But I haven't heard anything particularly enticing yet."

Ai glanced towards Saber. The platinum blonde swordswoman was hesitant for a moment, her cheeks flushing. After all… the proposal she was about to make was quite embarrassing. Naturally, Rider was hardly about to miss something like that, and her expression only became even more amused as she watched Saber blush. It certainly looked like the enemy Servant was enjoying this conversation, and it was impossible to ignore the way those gold eyes looked up and down Saber's figure.

The fact that Medb was quite blatantly checking Saber out certainly didn't seem to help the girl samurai at all.

"… Well… the conditions for this battle…" Saber trailed off, for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "To begin with, I think the clearing we fought the Quilled Boar in is probably the best battlefield… And I believe it would be best for the fight to take place tomorrow evening."

Rider smiled pleasantly and tapped her finger on the side of the fountain lightly. It was clear she wasn't considering this offer of arranging the fight to be anything worth considering as opposed to simply attacking whenever she pleased.

"Is that all? Did you particularly think I wanted a fair battlefield?" asked Rider, "It's not something I ever cared about, but it's cute that you think that would appeal to me~"

Saber paused for another few moments.

"… And… if you claim victory, I won't resist whatever you choose to do to me afterwards."

The offer hung in the air for a few moments. Ai looked nervously at Rider. Was that enough to make the pink-haired Servant consider the arrangement? It was their only real hope, and given how much interest Rider had expressed in Saber so far…

"… Oh? Is that so…?" Rider leaned forward, smiling, "So you'll willingly submit yourself to me when I inevitably claim victory? You'll bow down to your Queen, is that it~?"

It was clear that Saber was hesitant to respond to Queen Medb, initially. Discussing the plan to ensure Rider's compliance was one thing, actually speaking with her about it out loud was another. But it seemed like it was working. Rider suddenly seemed to be a lot more interested in the conversation, as opposed to simply being amused as she was before. It looked as if she was suddenly taking the proposal seriously.

"I wouldn't be so certain of your victory," Saber answered, her cheeks still somewhat red with embarrassment, "But… yes. If you win, I'm… I'm yours to do whatever you wish with."

"… Mmm, now that's a proposal that I can get behind," responded Medb, licking her lips as she did, "Such a skilled warrior, willingly offering herself to me after a crushing defeat… aah, just imagining it is so exciting~ You'll become a wonderful plaything, Saber, submitting yourself to me completely and utterly… your body will grow into quite a perverted thing under my guidance~"

Just because it was the expected response didn't mean it was any less embarrassing to hear it, and Ai's heartrate quickened. What if Medb really did win…?

"Oh, but that's not all," Rider continued, to both girls' surprise, "Since you'll do whatever I ask… I'll ask you to give your Master over to me as well!"

Queen Medb grinned, and Ai's eyes widened in shock.

"M-me!?" she stammered, unable to help herself.

"E-eh?! My Master?!" Saber was just a stunned as Ai herself was, "I-what… I… what does she have to do with this?!"

"It's simple," Rider replied, still smiling playfully with an idle flourish of her hand, "She showed a hidden strength when she confronted the other Masters. Even if I'm usually more drawn to warriors, that's certainly intriguing as well~"

Ai had no idea how to feel about this. Rider was expressing interest in her, too, but she wasn't a fighter or anything like that… this was already getting out of hand! But… but it was their only chance, in order to lure Queen Medb into a battlefield where they could finally defeat her. But if they lost, the both of them would become… hers. If this fight failed somehow, that meant…

Her cheeks flushed, Ai buried her face in her hands for a moment. She had never expected to find herself in a situation like this when she became a Master in the Holy Grail war. But she'd never expected anything to occur in the manner that it had, so why would this be any different? The small brunette had never expected to summon such a beautiful and kind girl as a Servant…

… And it… it was wrong. Wrong for her to try and avoid becoming involved in this. The lovely girl that was Saber was putting her freedom on the line in order to convince Rider to agree to the fight, so why shouldn't she do just the same? And no matter how worried Ai was, she felt Saber could win. If the plan went well, then maybe… maybe…

She took a deep breath. Saber was looking towards her, concerned, even as Ai raised her head from her hands.

"… F-fine," the magus began, simply, "If Saber is putting her freedom on the line, then it's only right that I should do the same thing. W-we'll both be your prize for victory, Rider."

"… Are you really sure, Master?" Saber asked, apprehensively. But Ai nodded. Not only was this their best chance, but she couldn't let Saber do this alone.

"Excellent!" declared Rider, brightly, clapping her hands together, "Then I accept your proposal for a battle!"

In spite of what had just occurred, Ai felt a strange sense of relief wash over her. They'd managed to secure the first step of the plan! That meant that tomorrow they could meet with Tsubaki and Lancer and figure out just how to execute the next step and destroy Rider's chariot!

Saber let out a sigh.

"So it's settled. We'll meet tomorrow at the clearing, and that will be our final battle in this Holy Grail War!" she declared, turning away from Rider. She seemed relieved as well. After all, Saber always seemed confident in her abilities, so Ai was certain she felt as if she could win. Ai turned to follow her.

"Now… when did I ever say anything about tomorrow?" came Rider's voice, suddenly. Immediately, Saber turned on her heel, and Ai swiftly looked back over her shoulder as well. Rider's casual outfit was gone, replaced by her silvery-crown, white fur cape, and armor. Her chariot had materialized beside her, as well, the bulls pawing at the concrete and bellowing.

"Rider?! But you agreed when-" Saber began, but Medb quickly cut her off.

"I agreed to fight you, yes," responded the Rider-class Servant, as she sprang onto her chariot. As she sat down, she sported a smug grin, "And I agreed to the prize. But I never agreed to any of the conditions you set, did I? After you gave me such an enticing offer, how could I be patient~?"

Rider intended to fight right now?! But they weren't ready! The entire point of this had been to organize a battle in which they could surprise her, but now Rider was ready to attack immediately!

"B-but… then the deal is off if-!" the glasses-clad magus tried to insist, but Rider didn't allow her to finish.

"Very well! My prize will still be the same. A Queen takes what she wants," she replied, her smile spreading into a grin as she raised her whip.

With a crack, the bulls were sent charging right for them!

In that instant, Ai found herself careening through the air as Saber shoved her aside. She caught the briefest glimpse of her Servant summoning her kimono and katana, her casual outfit vanishing as she did, but then she hit the ground and rolled twice, pain spiking through her shoulder due to the angle she had landed at. When she was able to rise, the chariot had torn its way across the plaza, but Saber seemed unharmed, her sword gleaming in the moonlight once again.

"Then I'll strike you down here, Rider!" Saber declared, sliding her feet into a ready stance as she raised her katana parallel to her head.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't try your hardest before you failed, Saber~" said Rider.

Her whip cracked again. The chariot charged, tearing up the plaza as it did. They were already moving away as they fought…

This was the worst possible outcome.

Rather then having a battle they could prepare for, with a plan to use support from their allies, Saber was now plunged into a ferocious fight that was completely unpredictable. No matter how confident her Servant was, Ai had no idea how the chariot could be dealt with without some method of destroying it.

If she lost here… if they lost, then…

Then…

… Wait, if she could get some kind of message to Tsubaki, then maybe… She sent out a call to her familiars. She still had them searching Minami for any sign of the Atlas base or Yumimura Saori, so if there were any close by…!

Indeed, to her relief, one of her cats swiftly appeared from her alleyway.

"F-find Inoue-san!" ordered Ai, frantically, "G-give her this message: W-we need Lancer, Rider is attacking at the shopping district!"  
With that, the cat swiftly sprinted off.

Trembling, Ai rose. She could see the battle growing more distant… was Saber trying to lure Rider towards the forest? Then…

Desperately, Ai clung on to one small hope.

That maybe their plan could still work.

~

The chariot tore through everything in an instant. The great hooves of the two bulls shredded the concrete, the chariot's wheels ground a path through the street as they went. And atop it, Medb grinned widely as she cracked her riding crop. The Queen of Connacht's pursuit was completely unshakeable, the speed of her bulls allowing her to cover distance in a flash.

If Saber had actually been trying to escape, her endeavor would have been doomed from the start. It was clear there was no losing the pursuit of Queen Medb, when she had her eyes fixed on what she desired.

But in the end, escape was the furthest thing from the girl samurai's mind.

The chariot tore down the street, and Medb had the bulls turn in a bid to slam right into her! Saber stepped back and her entire form seemed to blur as she darted out of the path of the thundering beasts. A direct hit would undeniably incapacitate her, there was no way she could withstand a blow from those beasts. Saber had to do everything she could to keep moving, to get Rider where she needed her to be. If there was to be any chance of destroying her chariot, this was it!

"That speed… your agility is what caught my attention in the first place, Saber!" declared Rider, her great beasts coming to a halt as she rose to her feet, standing in her chariot, "Your ability to evade the charge of my chariot can only be that of a Servant whose training allowed them to move like lightning."

She gestured to one of her bulls, the one with the missing horn.

"And when you severed one of Donn Cuailnge's horns… I can remember how my heart raced, and the heat in my loins~" she continued, smiling as she pointed the tip of her whip towards Saber, "Everything you have done since that moment has only made it clearer to me: You are just the kind of warrior I crave!"

Saber narrowed her silver-gold eyes, drawing her gleaming blade up.

"I don't know what you expect me to do," the platinum blonde swordswoman replied, eyes traveling over the bulls, watching for the moment their muscles tensed and they prepared to charge. She had to take in every little detail in order to keep up her evasion. She had to draw Rider to a location in which her chariot could be destroyed… she was counting on her Master to get in contact with Inoue Tsubaki before she did. "If you expected me to be distracted by that, you're mistaken!"

"Fufu, is that so? I'm glad," replied Rider, licking her lips, her golden eyes seeming to gleam intensely even in the darkness of the night, "An intense warrior who doesn't allow anything to shake her focus… that will make it all the more fun when I turn you into a willing, eager slut~!"

Those words… was that fixation really what the Queen of Connacht was all about? Saber knew, in legend, that Queen Medb's appetites were absurd. So was that really all she was motivated by? If not for being locked in battle, Saber wouldn't have been able to help being embarrassed by the Rider-class Servant's words. But in combat, nothing else mattered. She had to remain focused on her opponent, and how to defeat her!

"I won't let you win, Rider!" cried Saber, squaring her feet as she prepared to dart in! Even if she couldn't strike Medb…!

"Keep struggling until the very end," replied Rider, gleefully, "Until you're mine!"

There was a sound like the crack of thunder as Saber erupted forward, the foliage in planters nearby rustling from the backdraft of her movement. And yet, she could see the chariot turning, pulling Medb out of the direct path of her attack. It was just as she expected. Rider's foresight allowed her to respond to attacks before they even began. But even with that capability, she came so, so close…! As Saber leapt into the air, her blade flashed forward, and she felt it strike the wooden chariot, slicing into the wood! She could see Rider's golden eyes widen slightly at just how close Saber's katana came to her head!

There was a sharp, stinging sensation across Saber's back, and she let out a gasp of surprise as she careened past the chariot. The pale girl stumbled as she landed, and when she reached towards her lower back she could feel something had split the fabric of her kimono, her back now marked with sore, red spot. Had Rider struck her with her riding crop!?

Spinning on her heel, Saber swiftly took note of the fact that Rider had already recovered from her charge. The side of the chariot had shattered the windows of a small storefront, but otherwise both Servants had avoided doing much damage to the street. The Harazuki forest was still some distance away… Saber had to keep her opponent moving onwards.

"Aaah…" Medb was hugging herself with one arm, the other drifting down between her thighs, "You came so close… such a speed and skill, combined with such beautiful looks~ Mmmm, I so deeply want you as my plaything, Saber!"

Before going any further, Rider let out a giggle as she fiddled cheerfully with her whip. Saber said nothing. Once again, her eyes were fixed on the bulls, for any single sign of movement.

"Or… perhaps I should refer to you by your true name~?" said the pink-haired Servant, playfully. Saber froze, for a moment. But she had used one of her Noble Phantasms in front of Rider, in order to slay the Quilled Boar. Truly, it was no surprise that Medb knew her identity.

"The tragic samurai of the Shinsengumi that died unable to fight to the end with her comrades," continued Rider, cocking her head to one side, "It makes your capabilities all the more impressive when you possess such little mystery~"  
Saber's grip tightened on the hilt of her katana. The memory of suffering in her room, slowly dying, while those she called her friends and allies fought their last stand… no matter how deeply it pierced her heart, however, she couldn't let it distract her from the battle with Rider.

"… Yes, that's who I am," she replied, "I died unable to stand alongside those that I called my friends. But that's why I have to defeat you here, Queen Medb!"

Rider's bright smile grew into a wide grin.

"Excellent!" she cried, raising her whip, "Here I come, Okita Souji!"

With a crack, and the bellows of her bulls, Rider's chariot came tearing across the street. Once again, Saber's frame blurred as the wind tore past her, and she darted to the side to avoid the charge. There was a crucial balance, here. If she played too defensively, Medb could realize that the direction of her fleeing was deliberate and calculated, and that she was being intentionally lured to a specific location too quickly. But if she gave too strong of an offense, it would be difficult to make any progress towards their destination as well as incredibly risky. Rider had now shown she was capable of responding to Saber's attacks, not simply avoiding them, which left the girl samurai open whenever she made a strike at the enemy Servant.

Rider's foresight made her even more dangerous then she already was!

"Keep evading all you like, I'll catch you eventually!" declared the pink-haired Servant, the brilliant rainbow beam flashing from the center of her crown, like the corona of a star! It blazed forth, illuminating the dark street with its light as it tore towards Saber! Even as she sprang away, it tore into the concrete and ripped its way towards her! Even as she sprinted away, glancing back over her shoulder, she could see the beam from Rider's crown shredding its way through the street, following her movements. How long could Medb sustain it?! For the moment it seemed almost infinite, even as she dodged from side to side. The beam seemed to zigzag behind her, following far too close for comfort! But even if it was fast…

Saber was faster!

Taking a deep breath, the swordswoman suddenly put on another burst of speed! Storefronts were blurring together around her, and she could feel it. She remembered this location, they were getting closer and closer to the Harazuki forest! It wouldn't be much longer!  
Behind her, she could hear the sound of the rainbow beam suddenly cutting off, and of the chariot gaining. Even at her top speed, Medb's chariot was fast enough to keep up… of course, she couldn't expect anything less from a Rider-class Servant. Even with her own high rank in Agility, further bolstered by being summoned in her homeland, it was foolish to think she could completely outpace a Rider's mount. But that wasn't her goal.

In the blink of an eye, Saber sliced through a lamppost, spinning to kick it back directly towards Rider! She had to keep balancing offense and defense, it was vital to her plan!

Just as she expected, Rider swatted the lamppost away with her whip, sending it spinning right into a shopfront, shattering windows and crushing its way through the counter. The grin on Queen Medb's face made it clear just how much she was enjoying this.

And that was exactly what Saber needed. To keep Rider's mind on the pursuit, and their brief clashes! To keep her from thinking that there might be any sort of goal to Saber's escape until they got there. Once they arrived, the platinum blonde girl would need to continue her charade, to make her think the battlefield itself was the goal rather than anything else. As long as she could pull it off…!

"Are you trying to escape until you can think of a plan, Okita Souji~?" she heard Medb's voice from behind her, "It's a great idea, of course, but you'll fail! Don't let my words discourage you, though, keep struggling until you have no choice but to lie beneath me~"

Telling her she'd fail, then asking her not to give up? Saber wasn't going to pretend to understand. Queen Medb's words had always possessed that kind of tone, since they first met in this Holy Grail War. No, she had to keep moving, evading, attacking to keep Rider from growing suspicious… it was her best chance! If she missed this shot, Saber knew it was possible she'd never get another one. So she couldn't allow herself to become worried, to doubt herself. She couldn't allow herself to feel anything like that, not when it came to battle!

Steadily, the chariot was gaining on her. But as it did, the Harazuki forest was growing closer as well… she had to make it! She was so close! But, suddenly, she didn't hear Medb's chariot any longer…

Glancing back over her shoulder, Saber's silver-gold eyes widened when she saw it was gone. Swiftly realizing just where her opponent may have gone, her gaze moved skywards… and there was Medb's chariot! She'd taken to the air again! It wasn't as if Saber didn't recognize this possibility, but as long as she kept out of reach-

Before she could complete her train of thought, Medb's chariot came hurtling downwards! Rider was trying to land on top of her!?  
Saber tried to use her ability to flash step, but it was too late. The bulls, and the rest of the chariot, came slamming down just behind her, the force of the impact cratering the street beneath them. Even though she hadn't been directly struck, air pressure slammed into the girl samurai's back like she'd been hit by a train. With a gasp, the swordswoman was sent hurtling into the air, the wind knocked out of her as she was sent tumbling forward!

When Saber hit the ground, she rolled once, and then twice, landing on her back momentarily. It took only a brief moment for her to realize where she had landed, however…

There was grass against her back. The impact of Medb's landing had knocked her towards the Harazuki forest! She was so close…

But there was no time to relax. Even though she was just outside of the treeline, Rider could still easily catch her before she reached the clearing! Springing to her feet, to only minor protest from her body, Saber caught sight of Rider's chariot charging ever closer as she turned and darted into the forest. The samurai paused for only a moment to slice cleanly through the trunk of a tree, sending it toppling down towards her opponent. She had to keep Rider thinking she was attempting to escape, after all, but Saber knew that the falling tree would hardly delay Medb's charge.

Seconds later, there was the enormous crash of splintering wood, and Saber could only assume that Medb's chariot had smashed its way through the makeshift barricade without pause. That kind of power was exactly why they had to destroy the chariot! The swordswoman leapt over a boulder, darting past trees and weaving through obstacles, while Rider's chariot simply crushed its way through anything in her path. The hole in the earth that Saber would carve would have to be of a good depth, and angle or else Rider would not simply be able to brute force her chariot out of it, rather then become stuck! But before any of that, she had to know that her Master managed to make contact with Tsubaki and Lancer!

At this point, Saber was mostly forced to improvise. If things had gone according to plan, she would have known from the start that the allied Master and Servant pair were lying in wait until she found the perfect moment to trap the chariot's wheels. As it stood now, she simply had to hope that Master managed to make contact with them and they reached a good location to attack from. It was a desperate situation, but never one that she could call unwinnable!

There!

The clearing was still filled with broken trees, and great craters where the boar's hooves and fallen. Saber had recalled the route she had taken to the clearing initially, even in spite of the battle against Caster's undead minions. Not only that, but it hadn't been difficult to spot the trail of destruction even after a few days. There had still been damaged trees and craters in the earth, so there was a path that the girl samurai had been capable of following even if she hadn't remembered how she got there in the first place.

Saber erupted from the treeline, sprinting across the clearing until she reached the opposite side. Just her movement alone caused the grass to be blown about in waves, as if a strong breeze had passed over it. But at this point, the air had become quite still. Whatever breeze there was had vanished, and the air had become almost stagnant.

Immediately after Saber reached the other side of the clearing, and immediately turned to face the side from which she had entered, Queen Medb's chariot exploded from the treeline! As she realized where she was, the thundering hooves slowed, and she came to a halt.

"Hmm… this is the same clearing you wanted to fight in, isn't it?" questioned the pink-haired Queen, casting her golden gaze over her surroundings. Narrowing her eyes, watching Rider carefully, Saber tightened her grip on her sword's hilt and slid her feet into a ready stance once more. Even now, she didn't think it would be possible for Medb to guess exactly why the girl samurai had drawn her here. After all, it made for an excellent battlefield…

"Let me guess, Souji~" continued Rider, playfully, speaking in an all-too-familiar fashion, "Your plan was to use this open area as a method to evade my chariot, and slowly wear me down until you could deliver a finishing blow? It's not a terrible idea, at all."

In both her hands, Medb fiddled with her riding crop, bending it back and fourth as she cocked her head to one side with a grin.

"But it's doomed from the start," she added, eagerly, gesturing to her bulls, both of which were impatiently pawing at the earth, "Donn Cuailnge and Finnbhenach are both bulls without measure. Their strength and stamina is unrivaled, and not even a Servant could outlast them in a contest of endurance!"

Saber didn't doubt that this was true. A Rider-class Servant's Noble Phantasms were always their most powerful asset, and both of those bulls were legendary phantasmal beasts. Outlasting them when it came to a test of stamina in battle was likely impossible for most Servants. Certainly, she was not among the number of Servants who could. But such a thing was never her goal in the first place.

But if Medb believed that to be the case, it suited Saber's needs perfectly.

"That may be so, Rider," the girl samurai responded, silver-gold eyes fixed on the bulls as they pawed the earth. She'd be ready to move at the first sign of another charge. "But all I need is a single strike to disable them!"

While it wasn't the goal of her plan, it was certainly the truth. It was a stretch for her to try, but if she truly was unable to get Lancer's assistance… if she could get a single, solid strike to one of the bulls' legs, she could cause the chariot to crash. But that was a last resort. She had to try and delay until Lancer was able to get into position…!

"A single strike you won't get," replied Rider, with a confident smile, "With the foresight I pilfered from that bastard, Conchobar, I'll be able to foresee every single attack you make. Unfortunately, I can't look ahead far enough to see you begging for more pleasure~"

Saber didn't respond. Instead, this time, she decided not to let Rider make the first move. In a sudden burst of speed, she sprinted along the outer edge of the clearing, her form blurring as she turned sharply and suddenly vanished in a flash, appearing directly on top of the enemy Servant! But it was just as she'd expected. Rider immediately charged before she could bring her blade down, her katana instead striking the wooden chariot.

"Eager, aren't you~? Fufufu," Queen Medb placed one hand to her mouth as she giggled, eyeing Saber. The platinum blonde girl took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the other girl perched on the chariot, now. Regardless of if she knew if Lancer was coming or not, Saber knew that she had to start cutting her trap into the earth as soon as she could.

"Accept the Queen's reward for your enthusiasm!" declared Rider, a brilliant flash of light blazing from her crown once more. But this time, the flare of mana was even larger, ripping through the air and tearing across the clearing!

Even darting aside, Saber could see the way the beam of light tore into the treeline, practically slicing through tree trunks in an instant! In a flash, the girl samurai darted across the clearing, sure to cut into the earth during her charge, as Rider followed her with the beam. She had to pick a spot in the clearing, somewhere that would be ideal for catching her enemy off-guard. As long as she could do that, she could start preparing her trap. It would be worthless without Lancer's assistance, but she couldn't wait until she knew the knight was there to begin setting her trap. She had to begin as soon as possible, whenever Rider's attention wasn't entirely on the movement of her blade!

The brilliant beam of rainbow light flickered and shrank to a pinpoint, a needle-thin shaft of magical energy, before fading out entirely. Instead, Rider followed up her ranged attack with an immediate charge! Thankfully for Saber, she was able to change course swiftly, the chariot hurtling past her. But even then, Medb's whip lashed out once more! Unprepared, Saber yelped in surprise as she felt it crack across her back, leaving a stinging red mark in its wake, having sliced right through her kimono! She stumbled for a moment, but caught herself, swiftly turning. The blow from Medb's riding crop wasn't particularly dangerous, but it made it clear that Rider was still capable of attacking, even if her initial charge or blasts of mana were evaded. And enough blows could split Saber's skin and begin to cause serious harm. She couldn't let any more of them connect.

It was far too much of a risk. Even if she knew her opponent was Queen Medb, there was no guarantee that the whip wasn't capable of doing anything else, either.

"I'm sorry if it stings right now," commented Rider, playfully, turning her chariot about to face Saber once more, fiddling with the tip of her riding crop, "You'll learn to love the lash eventually~"

It wasn't as if it was no longer embarrassing, hearing Rider's words. It was less shocking then it had been the first time, knowing what Queen Medb was like, but that didn't mean it wasn't something that was awkward and distracting. But that was just why Saber couldn't let it take her focus. If she allowed herself to become distracted, then it would be impossible for her to complete their plan. Every single ounce of her focus counted.

"No matter what you say, I won't allow myself to be distracted, Rider," she replied, readying herself for another attack as she did. She had to find any opening she could to lay her trap…! "And I won't be defeated!"

Both Servants exploded towards each other once more! Medb's bulls bellowing, her chariot rattling as she charged! Saber's frame blurring as she darted across the clearing, diverting her path at the last possible second in order to lash out at Rider from the side! … And miss, her blade biting into the dirt as Rider turned her chariot sharply to avoid the blow.

But that was exactly what Saber wanted. As long as she could make it look like near misses, she could lay her trap. She couldn't make it too obvious, of course, that she was focusing on a specific spot in the clearing. That would make it clear what she was planning., or at the very least that she was planning something. If should could make every single cut into the earth look like a failed attack, however, she could completely obscure the process of setting up her trap!

It was what she had to do, no matter what!

This time, Rider came careening at her once again. Saber took a deep breath, and charged. But this time, as she was about to reach the chariot…!

Saber sprang into the air! Even Rider wasn't prepared for such a move, looking up in shock as Saber hurtled over her. The pale girl could feel the air rushing past her, even though it had become almost deathly still. If she could land on top of the chariot's body, she could potentially shake off Rider's focus even more!

Of course, that was too much to hope for. Rider cracked her whip, and the bulls bellowed as they picked up their pace once more, the chariot rushing away to the other side of the clearing. The platinum blonde swordswoman's feet hit the grassy ground, and she spun on her heel, her blade glinting in the moonlight as she raised it parallel to her head once more. The fact that she'd missed shouldn't have been so disappointing, she reflected, for a brief moment, but she had been hopeful she could have at least given her opponent a shock… But the important part was that she'd cut another gash into the earth.

"… Were you trying to hitch a ride, Souji?" Rider asked, cocking her head with a smile, even as her eyes betrayed her surprise, "You're a bit early~ Besides, I'd prefer to be the one on top, fufu~"

Both Servants charged across the clearing, again and again. Both failed to strike one another.

But Saber couldn't relent.

She had to hope.

~

They hadn't found a single thing.

Since Lancer and Tsubaki had begun their search for some kind of sign of the Atlas base, of Saori, they hadn't uncovered anything. The tanned magus had to remind herself, once more, that this wasn't going to be easy. There was no way discovering the operations of an organization like Atlas could ever be a simple thing. That didn't make the failure of their current search any more demoralizing, but the fact remained that she couldn't allow herself to give up.

No, if she gave up, it would mean giving up on Saori. And that was something that Tsubaki could never, ever accept.

"Lancer, do you think they could be underground?" the black-haired girl asked, turning to look at Servant. The blonde knight looked thoughtful for a moment, folding her arms under her chest as she did.

"… It is not impossible," she responded, "However, that would mean they must have established their base long before the town was constructed, in order to maintain secrecy. Alternatively, it would mean they used underground structures already in place."

That would mean either the sewers or drainage, either of which seemed unlikely for anything as complex as a workshop constructed by Atlas. She knew enough of the organization to know that there was quite simply no chance of simplicity when it came to anything they would create. Besides, what self-respecting magi would create their base of operations in a sewer? It was a terrible location. No, rather than that, she was beginning to suspect that Atlas's choice location was instead one that used a more conceptual method of concealing itself, a bounded field of some description or perhaps something else. Whatever the case was, it made locating them difficult. But that was just the reason they had done so, wasn't it?

Regardless of anything else, the search had to continue. Nodding to herself, she looked ahead. Tsubaki was taking this chance, the day before the final conflict with Rider, to search for Saori again. It was hardly the last time she intended to do so, but Rider's death would mean there were only three Servants left in the war. Their plan had to succeed, after all, so it could only end with Rider's defeat.

Most of the next day would be spent in preparation for the upcoming battle. Certainly, Lancer's position could be defined as one that was primarily that of support. She wouldn't directly join the fight, rather waiting until it was time for her intervention in order to attack Rider from a long distance. But the fact that she would be using such a powerful Noble Phantasm to do it meant that preparations had to be made, regardless. Tsubaki wasn't sure how much mana Lancer would take from her in the act of attacking in such a manner, after all.

It was hard to avoid feeling some level of self-satisfaction at the mental image of finally destroying Rider's chariot. The enemy Servant's capabilities, her ability to see the future and to move so incredibly fast, had rendered her an almost unstoppable opponent. But take away one of those… Her future sight wouldn't be able to help her if she could no longer move at such an absurd speed!

But at the moment, the search for any sign of the Atlas base continued. At the moment, that was the most important thing in Tsubaki's mind. Not fighting Rider, nothing else. Lancer was so reliable, as well… Tsubaki felt confident that everything in those regards would work out, which meant that her attention could be completely focused on locating any clues about Saori.

"Master," came Lancer's voice, suddenly, "Is that not one of Matsushita's familiars?"

The black-haired girl paused. Turning towards the direction Lancer was indicated, her eyes fell upon the creature in question. It was a cat, but that didn't necessarily mean anything… except for the fact that Lancer had specifically indicated its nature. While it looked like an ordinary cat, there was a sense of recognition there. The sense that it was indeed one of Ai's familiars…

After a moment's pause, Tsubaki swiftly approached the fluffy creature and knelt down in front of it.

"Is something going on?" she asked. There wasn't really any time to waste. It would otherwise have felt silly, asking a cat something so seriously, but at the moment it was crucial to discern what was happening.

The response she received was not in words, but in images. A feeling was conveyed to her. The cat could not speak, and yet it could still convey the message it had been given.

Rider had attacked Saber?! At the shopping district…!

They weren't prepared at all! Had something gone wrong? Had it been an ambush, or had it happened when Matsushita and Saber had gone to talk to her.

"Damn it!" cursed Tsubaki, straightening quickly, "Lancer, it's Rider! She attacked Saber in the shopping district, we have to go immediately!"

The knight girl didn't hesitate. Light flashed across her body, drifting into the still air as her clothing was replaced with her resplendent white armor, her flowing cape fluttering as it appeared. Instead of materializing her weapon, however, Lancer reached down and scooped up her Master, to Tsubaki's surprise.

"We need to move as quickly as possible, then!" asserted the knight, and Tsubaki found herself nodding. Even with the use of reinforcement, she couldn't move at the full speed of a Servant, and certainly not for long enough to reach the shopping district. That, and being held like this admittedly felt fairly secure and safe… Lancer really was a knight in shining armor, huh? But that didn't alleviate her concerns about Rider's attack. Not only was it a fight they weren't prepared for, but it was in one of the worst possible locations for such a battle. The shopping district was far too dense with buildings, there was too much potential collateral damage that could occur if Lancer used her second Noble Phantasm.

While there wasn't even a slight breeze, Tsubaki could feel the air whipping past her as Lancer broke into a sprint, clearing distance incredibly swiftly. It was hardly the first time, but it still felt like she'd been stuck in a wind tunnel. And Lancer was hardly about to stop for anything… if nothing else, at least they'd get there as quickly as possible!

And indeed, they had soon arrived at the shopping district! But… there were no sounds of battle, no furious clashes of steel or the bellowing of Medb's bulls. No, instead, it was just as still as the air. In fact, were those dark clouds rolling in…?

"Master! Look!"

Immediately, Tsubaki refocused, and it was hard to miss what Lancer was talking about. Around the plaza in which a fountain and the café where she had first spoken with Ai were located was the signs of a struggle. Concrete gouged out of the street, thin slashes through the side of the fountain… and further down the street, to the north, the signs of battle continued.

"… I… hope Saber has not fallen," commented Lancer, with concern as she set her Master down. This was a great deal of destruction. Concealing it was going to be a lot of work, but that wasn't Tsubaki's concern. It was Ai's safety, and Saber's as well. Even if they were destined to be opponents… there was no way she'd be able to live with seeing her hurt, and Saber was an enemy Servant, but still an ally for now. She didn't hate Saber, the samurai girl was cute, even… And she wanted to give both her Servant and Matsushita's the chance at an honorable duel to end the war.

That wasn't all, but…

For now, Tsubaki had to focus. There was no letting her mind wander to other matters, no matter how important they could be.

"I'm sure she's still fighting," asserted Tsubaki, quickly hurrying ahead as Lancer followed her, "She's your rival in this war, there's no way she'd fall before you had one last duel!"

At least, that's what the tanned magus hoped.

"Certainly, Saber is a skilled samurai, but Rider's capabilities…" Lancer took a deep breath, "No, no matter what, I shall have to believe she is still fighting."

The signs of battle seemed to become more chaotic as they proceeded. A smashed storefront, a lamppost severed completely through, broken windows and a street torn up by thundering hooves and wheels… this was a completely unrestrained battle waged all the way down the road. That was what it would have had to be, though, wasn't it? Rider's relentless charge would have to be defended against by something equally relentless… Tsubaki's hands curled into fists. Damn that Queen Medb! They had a perfect plan for dealing with her, but now…

"Master! I can hear the sounds of battle, there is no mistaking it!" declared Lancer, suddenly. Eyes widening, Tsubaki realized she could hear it too! The sudden, somewhat distant bellows of Rider's bulls, the clashes of steel… they were still fighting!

"Let's go, Lancer!" cried Tsubaki, and without a moment's hesitation the knight picked up her Master once more sprinted down the street. They had to make it, they had to! This was their best chance to defeat Rider, and it was likely it would be their only chance!

With Lancer's agility, it wasn't long before they reached the outskirts of the Harazuki forest. Saber and Rider's battle had torn a hole into the treeline that penetrated deeply into the woods, so clearly that it was even possible to see the distant shape of Medb's chariot, blazing beams of rainbow mana and the occasional flash of Saber's katana…

Tsubaki was beginning to piece together what had happened in her mind.

Saber had lured Rider into a location where there would be as little collateral damage as possible. Lancer's Noble Phantasm would certainly carve its path through the forest, but there was no chance of another human being caught in the blast. So even when locked in battle, Saber had planned out her every move.

They could still win!

"Lancer, we need to find a vantage point!" Tsubaki ordered, swiftly.

"I understand, Master!"

Darting around the outside of the forest, the knight swiftly found a hillside and sprinted up it without delay. As long as it was high enough for them to properly view the battlefield, to allow Lancer to take proper aim…

As soon as they came to the top of the hill, Lancer set Tsubaki down and both girls took stock of their vantage point. The way the trees had grown here left a clear view down the hillside… Tsubaki couldn't help but feel satisfied. This was as well as they could have hoped for this to have gone since learning of Rider's attack!

But they still had to hope Saber would be able to immobilize the pink-haired Queen's chariot long enough… they couldn't simply wait.

"Lancer, are you ready?" Tsubaki asked, glancing back towards her Servant. The blonde knight nodded, and took a step forward.

In her right hand, the Trap of Argalia materialized with a golden glow.

Suddenly, there was a rush of wind, in spite of the night's stillness, as a brilliant golden light swirled around the length of the cavalry lance. This was the activation of Lancer's strongest attack…

"By the grace of God, I call upon the power to destroy the enemies of all that is good!" cried Lancer, thrusting her weapon into the air. The brilliant light grew larger, explosively, swirling brilliantly around the lance… Tsubaki could feel her heartbeat growing faster. This was completely different from the beams of mana that Lancer had unleashed before… this was her most powerful, her most destructive ability. Even before it had been released, it was easy enough for her to tell.

"I can restrain it for some time, Master," Lancer explained, her voice somewhat strained as she held her weapon pointed towards the heavens, which had darkened further since their arrival. "But if Saber is unable to bring that chariot to a halt, I will have to release it!"

Tsubaki took a deep breath. She understood.

The light gathered more and more. Soon enough, the Trap of Argalia had been rendered a shining beacon of mana, a shimmering light crackling overhead. It was impossible to see the weapon itself, it had been consumed it this blazing, swirling vortex of magical energy.

It built… and built… and built…!

~

Panting, Saber skidded to a halt. Turning her body about, her black scarf fluttering in the air with her motions, she narrowly darted to the side. This time, the proximity of the chariot was nearly enough to knock her off her feet from the air pressure, the girl samurai stumbled back and forced to catch herself. This kind of battle was grueling. As a Servant, her endurance was far above what a human was capable of, even at its relatively low rank, but that didn't mean she was capable of outlasting a pair of bulls known for their stamina. Rider hadn't been forced to exert herself at all. It was decidedly one-sided in that regard. Her combatant could sit back and relax, comparatively, while she was forced to keep moving.

As Saber turned to face her enemy, narrowing her silver-gold eyes as she raised her blade, she caught sight of a thin pinpoint of rainbow light…! Given no time to dodge as the beam ripped through the air towards her, Saber was instead forced to bring the flat of her blade into the path of Rider's attack! The impact of the beam reverberated through her arms and then erupted in a blast of heat and light, sending Saber rocketing backwards across the clearing, her gloves shredded and pain shooting up from her hands to her shoulders, searing through her arms!

"Guh…!"

She hit the ground on her back and rolled once, ending up on her front, but before she could even begin to recover Rider was charging for her again! She could see Medb's face, a grin plastered on her expression, but even after taking a hit like that Saber wasn't beaten! She rolled to the side, forcing her feet back under her as she drew her katana parallel to her head, stepping back as quickly as she could to get out of range of those thundering hooves and crushing wheels!

When Rider's charge concluded, she swung her chariot about and brought it to a halt. Saber fully straightened, taking a deep breath as she kept herself at the ready. She'd been doing her best to damage the battlefield in whatever ways she could, to carve out more of her trap with every pass both Rider and herself made across the clearing, but it was a difficult process. She had to make sure Rider never guessed what she was doing. By this point, if she could make one last cut…

"I can tell… you're running out of energy, aren't you?" commented Rider, cocking her head to one side as she spoke, her bulls pawing at the earth, digging ruts into it with those massive hooves. "Haaah, well, I think the foreplay has gone on long enough, don't you? It's difficult, being patient…"

Saber could feel it. There was magical energy building in the chariot itself… was this yet another Noble Phantasm? She recalled, back when they had first met in battle, that Rider had nearly shown off some sort of special function of her chariot… was that what she was intending to do now?

It didn't matter. No matter what Saber was faced with in this battle…

On the edge of the clearing, Saber noticed her Master. Ai had managed to make her way here as well, panting heavily from presumably having sprinted her way to the fight. Perched on her shoulder was one of her familiars, which swiftly leapt off as Ai leaned forward, gasping for air.

"Oh? Your Master is here as well, then," said Medb, with a chuckle, "Good, she'll bear witness to your transformation into my plaything!"

The mana within Rider's chariot built up, power radiating from her. It wasn't the bulls, nor was in the chariot itself. Rather, it was Rider impressing her will upon it. This was something wholly and utterly considered to be Queen Medb's power, an ultimate expression of her legend. Undeniably, it was, among her Noble Phantasms, the one that symbolized her as a heroic spirit even more than the any of the others.

"S-Saber!" called Ai, "I… I…"

Her Master hesitated… before giving Saber a thumbs up? For a moment, the swordswoman didn't understand, beyond it being an attempt to encourage her. But then…

On a nearby hillside, there was a faint glimmer of light…

It was her final hope. Saber no longer had any choice. She had to win, and that meant acting now.

All she could do was hope that beacon was what she thought it was.

The platinum blonde girl took a deep breath, squaring her feet up as she stepped forward.

"Okita Souji!" declared Medb, "Don't despair at your defeat! I'll invite you to a world of endless pleasure, so simply surrender yourself to your future as Queen Medb's toy!"

The pink-haired Rider thrust her whip into the air.

"Chariot My Love!"

All at once, Medb's chariot shattered the stillness of the air. Mana almost seemed to erupt from it as it rocketed into a blinding charge, tossing up dirt and debris as it tore a rut into the earth with its movement. The power of the Queen of Connacht, the Lady of Many Affairs who lead an army for her own desires, who forged a warpath to satisfy herself, was on display in this instant. But Saber had to act, she had to bring this blinding charge to a screeching halt!

The girl samurai planted one foot firmly forward and then thrust her katana downwards, into the dirt. The sharp blade bit deep into the earth, penetrating the side of another one of the gashes she had carved during the fight. She had to hope this would work…!

The edge of her sword cut through stone and soil like butter.

"Now you'll-" Rider's words died in her throat. Suddenly, beneath the wheels of her chariot, the earth gave way, the front wheels slamming into the side of the pit as her bulls skidded backwards, unable to move further. They bellowed in protest.

Saber's eyes widened. It had worked!

"You…!" Medb's fingers clutched tighter on her riding crop, "Do you think this will let you escape?! It's not as if this can stop me for long!"

Indeed, Saber could see the way that the bulls were pulling the rest of the chariot from the earth, the wheels grinding their way through the side of the pit she had dug. But her trap didn't need to last very long, did it?

"I don't think you understand, Queen of Connacht," Saber replied, a confident smile coming to her lips, "If you really think I'm trying to escape!"

Medb's golden eyes narrowed, as she spurred her bulls on, but then she froze. Had has she used her foresight? No matter what she had done, it no longer mattered!

"… Damn you…!" Rider snapped, her gaze immediately jerking towards the hillside.

Atop it stood Lancer, holding her cavalry lance high about her head. It blazed with magical energy, a beacon of incredible power spiraling into the air.

"This blow is struck in the name of God, for everything I stand for!" cried the blonde knight, "Divinte des Plumes Blanches!"

She swung the Trap of Argalia down.

Immediately, the spiraling light erupted forward. It tore its way downwards through the forest, mana ripping through everything as it made its path towards the clearing, trees vaporized in its path. The golden light was unstoppable, and it had reached the clearing in an instant.

Just as Medb freed her chariot from the pit.

But it was too late.

Saber watched as the light of Lancer's Noble Phantasm engulfed Medb's chariot. For the briefest moment, the girl samurai could see the outline of the bulls and the chariot itself before it seemed to fade away just as quickly. The brilliant golden light roared, before contracting to a pinpoint just as quickly as it had appeared, with a sound like a ringing bell.

In the blast's wake, a great cloud of dust had been kicked up.

Saber took a deep breath, and lowered her katana to her side. While it was difficult to see just what was left behind, at the moment, it was clear enough that the chariot had been destroyed!

"S-Saber! You did it! Y-You and Lancer…!" Ai exclaimed, beginning to approach.

But then, the air was suddenly heavier. Saber thought she could see a silhouette in the cloud of dust…

"Master, stay back!" she cried, looking back over her shoulder. "It's not over!"

There was a burst of mana, the dust cloud cleared in an instant. There, in a still-hot rut dug into the earth by Lancer's Noble Phantasm, was Queen Medb. Her pink hair was somewhat disheveled, her fur cloak torn and burnt, but in her hand…

"Fergus My Love!"

It was the Rainbow Sword, Caladbolg.

"If you believed that would let you claim victory, then it seems you need a reminder of the Queen's power!" she declared, mana beginning to spiral around the strange blade. It condensed and tightened around the weapon, creating a swelling aura of rainbow light around Caladbolg. Silvery-gold eyes wide, Saber took a step forward. She had to stop Rider from releasing that power! If she did, it was possible Lancer could-

"CALADBOLG!"

The Rainbow Sword sliced through the air. With a roar, the mana that had gathered on its blade was released, a wave of magical energy searing the air as was unleashed. Even standing where she was, Saber was buffeted by the air pressure that had exploded from Caladbolg as it was released, sent stumbling back, unable to approach Queen Medb. The sheer power that had once again been displayed by Rider was even greater then Lancer's spear, vaporizing trees and carving a path through the very earth, searing the rock…!

When it struck the hill, it obliterated it. Saber could see it, the way the entire hill was eroded in an instant, blasted away by the power of Caladbolg! Of course… legend said that it had destroyed no less they three hilltops like this in the hands of Fergus Mac Roich. Even as its power faded, the blast vanishing just as quickly as it had been unleashed, the destruction was on display. It was like a massive hand had just come and scooped away at the earth, ripping the hill away.

"… Lancer…"

Saber had no way of knowing if Lancer had survived. Caladbolg's attack had been enormous, and incredibly powerful, but if Lancer had begun moving the instant she noticed Medb's counterattack then maybe it was possible that the knight and her Master had escaped…

But regardless…!

Bringing her blade parallel to her head, Saber erupted across the battlefield, her flash-stepping technique allowing her to vanish almost completely for an instant, as if she had teleported right to Rider's side! Her thrust was met by Caladbolg, Rider stepping back from the impact of Saber's strike as the sound of steel meeting steel rang through the clearing!

"You've taken away one of my strongest weapons…" Medb said, her hand, and voice, shaking with the effort of holding back Saber's blow. It was clear who was the one better equipped for close combat, and yet Rider was still managing to hold her back. "But I'm a warrior queen of legend, Okita Souji! I won't be defeated so easily!"

With a burst of strength, Medb managed to deflect Saber's katana, pushing it to the side! A rainbow light chased up the shape of Caladbolg, mana building across it once more! Saber darted back, and a thin wave of magical energy ripped through the spot she had occupied an instant later! Even if she was the more powerful fighter when it came to melee, there was no doubt that Rider was not helpless! Sprinting to the side, her scarf fluttering in the air behind her as she strafed to her opponent's flank, Saber path hooked back inwards as she struck at Rider again! This time, the pink-haired queen was still able to deflect the blow, and block the followup as well, the rainbow mana swirling around Caladbolg forcing the platinum blonde samurai to back off for a moment once more. She couldn't risk being seriously injured now, not when she was so close…!

"Even so, Rider!" cried Saber, "If I can't defeat you here, it will not only be a failure for the legacy of the Shinsengumi, it will be a failure for my Master! I won't let her down!"

With one hand, Queen Medb raised Caladbolg once more, the blade gleaming rainbow in the moonlight. As opposed to her heavy offense when she had still possessed her chariot, being summoned as Rider meant that the Queen of Connacht's personal capabilities were lowered, instead her power being concentrated in her Noble Phantasms. That meant that her entire strategy had been shifted to a defensive one.  
But even so, there was no way Saber could take her opponent lightly. She was a warrior queen of legend, after all, and she was wielding one of those powerful Noble Phantasms. Caladbolg was a legendary sword with destructive power that had now been displayed twice, sufficient to shatter Caster's barrier and annihilate an entire hill. Saber couldn't allow it to be unleashed again!

"It's a shame that Lancer destroyed my chariot. How dare you invite another Servant to our little party without telling me!" responded Medb, "But I still wish to make you into my plaything, Souji~"

In spite of those words, it wasn't difficult to tell that Rider was shaken. But the pink-haired Servant was refusing to show it. If there was one thing Saber could absolutely compliment Medb on, it was the fact that she was someone who was clearly in control of her own fears.

As thunder, the sound of an approaching storm, rang across the battlefield, the samurai and the warrior queen met once again. Their blades clashed in a shower of sparks, and Saber attempted to use leverage to force Caladbolg up and out of the way, to make an opening for her next strike.

But even without the use of her foresight, Medb was still capable of understanding her opponent. With a blast of brilliant rainbow light that sounded just like the thunder had moments before, she forced Saber back! The pale swordswoman was quick to catch herself, but her opportunity to land a finishing blow had been taken from her again.

That brilliant rainbow light was crackling, swirling along Caladbolg's strange blade. Before it could be unleashed, Saber had to try and strike again…!

"Did you know, Souji?" asked Medb, cocking her head to one side as she spoke, with a smile, even as Saber began to dart towards her, "Caladbolg can also be used… like this!"

Suddenly, the tip of the Rainbow Sword bit into the earth! The ground ahead of her, beneath Saber's feat, suddenly fractured, brilliant light shining through the cracks! There was another attack Caladbolg could utilize!? Even with her speed, it was nearly impossible to react to the ground beneath her suddenly exploding upwards, in roar of light and sound! Saber's body was suddenly bathed in rainbow light, heat searing through her frame! She couldn't even see anything, there was nothing…!

In the wake of the blast, a cloud of dust rose.

"S-Saber!" cried Ai, stepping forward. Had Saber just lost, even if they'd managed to destroy Medb's chariot!? The small brunette clutched at the air, her entire body shaking as she did.

"Don't worry," responded Rider, idling flipping Caladbolg about in the air, "That shouldn't have killed her. But there's no way she could continue to fight after taking a direct hit."

It was true. It hadn't killed her. And if Saber had taken a direct hit, she doubted she would have even been able to stand. But the legendary lightning fast swordplay of Okita Souji, her agility… it wasn't to be underestimated!

"I've wo-"

Saber erupted from the cloud of dust, her blade flashing in a sliver of moonlight! Her kimono was burnt and torn, pale skin showing through holes in the fabric, her right side bruised and bloodied, but she had survived! At the last possible second, she had managed to avoid the very center of the blast! It was painful, but that wouldn't stop her!

"What?!" cried Medb, as Saber stepped to her side in a flash, silvery-gold eyes narrowing. Even as her enemy raised that legendary sword…! This time, Saber wouldn't allow it! She had to end it here!

Her katana flashed forward, just as Rider brought Caladbolg down, and…!

The Queen of Connacht's grip slackened, her golden eyes wide.

"… Ah…"

Saber's sword had buried itself up to the hilt in Rider's chest, the blade protruding from her back.

All at once, the tension in the girl samurai's body was released, her breathing coming out in quick, ragged pants.

This was the end.

"I've won, Rider."

For a few moments, all there was, was the stillness of the air. For a battlefield that had been furious and unceasing seconds ago, the earth rent apart by the vicious combat that had been waged in the clearing, it was suddenly almost totally silent. All there was in that instant was the ragged breathing of both Servants, and then another distant roll of thunder. Then, Saber stepped back, drawing her sword from Medb's chest, smoothly, blood staining the blade. The Rider-class Servant almost seemed to be in a state of disbelief, raising one hand weakly to the wound, looking down to see crimson staining her palm.

She stumbled back, shaking.

"Th-that's… that's not fair! You… you should have… I wanted to…!" Rider's words were disjointed as she stumbled back, clutching at her chest as she did, "Why?! Why did this happen!? I'm the Queen, aren't I?!"

Her voice was becoming weaker, as her legs trembled.

"You're one legend against many others, Queen of Connacht," responded Saber, lowering her katana as she spoke. It had taken almost everything she had to defeat Rider, even after she had lost her chariot. It felt as if she truly had participated in some clash of heroes. "And this really was a battle right out of the most epic of legends."

"… Heh…" Medb fell to her knees. Saber could see that her eyes were growing heavy. By this point, Caladbolg had vanished, leaving only the Queen clutching at her bleeding chest. A trickle of red was now flowing from the corner of her mouth. "… If that's so… then…"

Her frame trembled for a few moments, and crimson flowed from her mouth, dripping onto the ground. Rider raised her hand away from her chest once more, staring down at the blood marring her palm. Her breaths were short and uneven, now.

After a few moments, she was no longer able to even stay on her knees, falling onto her side. Her pink hair fell loosely around her head, her crown tumbling off and laying a short distance away. Saber was certain she had pierced Medb's heart in that final blow, run her completely through. There was no denying the lethality of her strike. She had killed many times before, enough to be certain this was the case.

"Then… if I had to die a second time…" Rider continued, one of her trembling hands clutching weakly at the grass, her golden eyes half-closed. No matter how much Rider had promised to take her as a toy, no matter what an egotistical and selfish opponent she had been, Saber, in this moment, was going to show her enemy respect as she died.

Placing the dip of her katana in the earth, the girl samurai knelt beside the dying queen.

"… Then at least it was something like this…" Rider finished. Her breathing, her voice, it was barely a whisper now. All the strength had left the Queen of Connacht's body. She would only be in this world for a few more moments. And yet, a strange smile came to her lips, her golden eyes glancing towards Saber.

"… Hey, Souji…" she began, "… Do you think I'm beautiful…?"

For a moment, Saber was taken aback by the question. Out of all the things she had expected, she'd never expected her dying enemy to ask her something like that. But Rider had precious few moments left in this world, and there was no way Saber would leave such a question unanswered.

And if she was to answer with any honesty… Rider's fair skin, her silken, pink hair, her golden eyes, her smooth features… no matter what kind of a person Queen Medb was, one thing was certain.

"… Yes, Queen Medb," replied the silvery-haired girl, giving Rider a small smile as she spoke. Even if they were enemies, and hardly friendly ones, the Queen of Connacht deserved this much. "There's no way anyone could deny it. You are beautiful."

Medb's smile grew.

"… I'm glad…"

Her breathing ceased. Golden light began to drift away from Rider's body, and soon it had faded away entirely. Even the blood on Saber's katana had vanished. Taking a deep breath, the platinum blonde girl rose to her feet.

Feelings of victory were swelling in her heart. Rider had been one of their most dangerous opponents, and now she was gone. This was something she could truly consider to be a well-claimed triumph.

And yet… had Lancer and her Master…

"Oiii, Saber! Ai-san!" came Tsubaki's voice, calling from the other side of the clearing. Glancing up, Saber could see the tanned magus and the blonde knight, looking no worse for wear. They'd escaped before Caladbolg destroyed the hillside!

Before Saber could respond, however, her Master suddenly rushed towards her, arms wrapping around her midsection in a tight embrace.  
Her eyes were shining with tears.

"… Hey, Master," Saber said, giving the short brunette a smile, "There's no need for tears. This was a great victory!"

Even though her Master was crying, she was returning her Servant's smile. Wordlessly, she set about mending the swordswoman's injuries, a pleasant warmth spreading up Saber's side as her bruises began to fade, burnmarks and cuts slowly disappearing into smooth, pale flesh.

"That was an excellent performance, Saber," said Lancer, as both the knight and Tsubaki drew closer, "Rider was undeniably one of the most dangerous Servants in the war."

"It was because of you, that I was able to defeat her, Lancer," replied Saber, still smiling. This was a battle that she could be proud of! "It wasn't as if I couldn't have fought her off, but you were the reason she lost her chariot! And it was my Master's quick thinking, and Inoue-san's plan, that gave us this chance in the first place."

Lancer nodded.

"Of course."

"So there's only three Servants remaining, then," Tsubaki commented, looking from Lancer, to Saber, and back. It wasn't as if the meaning was lost on Saber. Soon enough, allies would become enemies. But that was to be a final, honorable duel.

But then, suddenly, the foliage on the nearest edge of the clearing rustled. Without a moment's pause, most of the damage to her body healed, Saber pulled her katana from the earth and placed both hands on it, raising it immediately as her attention focused entirely on that spot.

"Wh-who…" Ai stammered, but Saber swiftly stepped in front of her. Lancer, too, raised her cavalry lance.

The figure that emerged from the treeline was completely unarmed.

Hirata Genjiro.

"… And so, my role in the war ends," said the man, with a sigh, "I suppose I should have summoned someone more cooperative…"

His words did nothing to diffuse the situation, though the fact that he hadn't armed himself gave Saber pause. Then again, it wasn't impossible he was concealing a weapon… but only a madman would face two Servants alone.

"… So what are you doing here, then?" asked Tsubaki, narrowing her eyes as she spoke, "Shouldn't you be on your way to the church?"

"I intend to," replied Genjiro. For someone who had just lost his opportunity to obtain the Holy Grail, he hardly seemed particularly upset. "But first, there's something I wish to discuss with Matsushita-san."

With her Master…? Saber looked back over her shoulder, watching Ai's look of confusion as she stepped forward.

"With me…?" asked the glasses-clad girl.

Genjiro nodded.

"Have you ever wondered just how it was," he began, "That your parents died?"


	14. Chapter 14

"Have you ever wondered just how it was that your parents died?"

Those words almost seemed to make Ai's heart freeze. Hirata Genjiro… did he know? Had he been there? For a few moments, she didn't know what to say or do. How could she? Her amber eyes drifted towards her Servant, who seemed to be ready to attack the man at any moment. But the fact was that the short brunette didn't want to attack someone who was unarmed, no longer a part of the Holy Grail War. And yet, she wasn't sure what to tell her. Tsubaki and Lancer were eyeing Genjiro warily, but had yet to act as well.

"So you're just coming around giving out traumatic facts like that? How would you even know about that, Hirata?" came the tanned girl's voice. She sounded rather suspicious, to say the least.

"I lived in Minami ten years ago," Genjiro replied, simply, "At the same time as the previous Holy Grail War."

Ah… so that's what he meant.

"… I…" Ai took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly, before stepping forward. Ever since she learned when the previous war in Minami took place, she had known exactly why her parents were dead. It was no longer a mysterious accident at all. "… I figured that out a while ago, Hirata Genjiro-san. They died during the last Holy Grail War."

The thought was painful. But in a way, it was better to know how they died rather then go on and believe it had been some kind of accident that had never occurred. Would they really, truly be proud of her participation in this war, with that knowledge? Ai had to hope so, if nothing else. The fact remained that no matter how painful it was, knowing was better than the alternative.

"Well, I suppose that's obvious," Genjiro responded, with a small shrug, "Two magi die at the same time as the Holy Grail War, it doesn't take much speculation to reach the correct conclusion. But, I wonder, have you ever considered who it was that must have killed them?"

His words struck the short brunette like a hammer. It was something that Ai had subconsciously known ever since she concluded that her parents must have died during the Holy Grail War, but the thought of them being killed by someone else was still a shock that had run through her entire body.

"I know it's about your parents, Master," began Saber, silvery-gold eyes still fixed on Genjiro, "But you don't have to listen to him. He was our enemy until this point, what reason would he have to tell you something like this?"

Deep down, Ai knew that was true. But at the same time, how could she just ignore what the man was saying, when he promised to let her know the truth about her parents' deaths? Her eyes drifted from her Servant, to Tsubaki. The tanned girl had fallen silent, looking uncertain herself. Lancer was standing by her Master's side, ready to strike just as Saber was.

"I know, but… he's…" Ai began, trailing off. This was the only time in ten years someone had ever tried to tell her the truth about the deaths of her mother and father. Even the organization had never told her anything. This was the only opportunity she'd ever been given to learn more. Even if it hurt, she wanted to know as much as she could.

"… Was it a Servant? One of the enemy Masters?" the small brunette found herself asking. There was a myriad of different possibilities.

She heard Tsubaki try to say something, but whatever it was, the words died in the girl's throat as Genjiro started to speak.

"Your parents entered the war as a team, your father acting to support your Mother, who had summoned Rider," he explained, calmly, "Near the end of the war, they came into conflict with one of the other Masters, while their Servants clashed. It was a vicious one, and by the end both of your parents had been killed."

Ai could feel her chest beginning to tighten. Her mother and father, dying in battle near the end of the war… even thinking about it wasn't easy.

"Master…" she heard Saber's voice, the girl samurai trying to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Surprisingly, the perpetrator was none other than a member of one of the other families living in Minami," continued Genjiro. Wait… so it was a representative of another of the families? Ai found her mind struggling to recall the other magi in Minami City. There was the Inoue, obviously, but as it turned out there had also been Natsuki Yukihiro's family, and maybe there was others had grown unfamiliar with in her ten years away from the town. The Shimada, maybe? Who could it-

"The man who murdered your parents was none other than Inoue Tsubaki's father."

Those words pierced Ai's heart like the tip of a spear.

By now, ominous clouds filled the sky, and there were near constant rumbles of thunder filling the air. It felt heavy…

The glasses-wearing magus shook her head. That couldn't be true.

"There's… there's no way that's true!" Ai insisted, "Inoue-san… Inoue-san's been my ally from nearly the beginning! If that was the case… then…"

There was no way it could ever be true.

"It's not true, right, Inoue-san?!" she called to the other girl, turning to face her.

But Inoue Tsubaki's gaze was no longer on Genjiro. Her eyes had drifted downwards, towards the ground.

"… I-Inoue-san…?"

Ai's voice was shaking.

When Tsubaki spoke, it was exactly what the girl had been hoping she wouldn't say.

"… I'm sorry, Ai," replied Tsubaki, her eyes still downcast, "… I knew from the start. I didn't want to fight you, the moment I met you that first day in class. After learning what my family did to yours… I didn't want to fight anyone who carried the Matsushita name. I had hoped that it was a coincidence…"

The tanned girl's gaze rose again, but she was still avoiding looking into Ai's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Ai. I didn't know what to tell you."

"… N-no…"

Ai's voice was shaking. The girl who had spoken to her on the first day of class, the ally who had stood by her side with Lancer, this whole time Tsubaki's father had been the one who…

"No… no no no…"

There was a part of Ai that couldn't accept it. She couldn't believe it was possible. But there was no way it wasn't, was there? Tsubaki had acknowledged it herself. This whole time, she'd been the child of her parents' murderer… Ai felt her chest grow tighter, she felt her throat constricting as tears began to well up in her eyes. Her ally, her friend… the first person to even bother to speak to her without being required to in ten years… That person shared the blood of the man who slaughtered her mother and father.

It was all some kind of cruel joke, wasn't it?

Ai barely even felt the raindrops, as the sky began to open up. All she could do was bury her face in her hands as hot tears began to flow down her cheeks freely, her breathing coming out as sobs. None of it had mattered. All of it had been a cruel joke on her, for daring to consider Tsubaki to be her friend. Daring to hope her parents would have been proud of her.

"… Master…" the small brunette heard Saber's voice, but she didn't respond. How could she? What could be done?

There was nothing. There was no point.

"… Ai, I-" Tsubaki began, reaching out towards the smaller magus as the rain began to fall harder.

"No!" shouted Ai, turning away from the other girl. Tsubaki's hand fell limp at her side. She couldn't talk to the girl. She couldn't bring herself to say anything more. How could she, when Tsubaki's father had killed her parents? What could she ever say to someone like that?

Ai couldn't even bring herself to remain here any longer. After a few moments of silence, broken only by the rain and the brunette girl's shuddering sobs, she simply broke into a sprint, running away from the site of the battle as quickly as she could.

"Master!" she heard Saber's voice again, but she didn't turn back. She didn't say anything. Her hot tears mixed with the cold rain as she ran. Ai didn't even know where she was going, any longer. She didn't know what she could do. But she couldn't be there any longer. The memory of that day when she learned of her parents' deaths played out over and over again in her mind, interposed with the image of Tsubaki's face. She hadn't been the killer, but her father… she had the same blood… why did it have to be like this?

Why?

Ai only stopped running when a hand gripped her shoulder. By this point, the rain was coming down harder, and she could barely see through her glasses. But even blurred, she could still make out the shape of her Servant, Saber's white kimono and pale skin standing out in the dark forest.

"… Master… I know how you must feel, but it's too dangerous to run off into the forest," she said, placing her hands on both of the girl's shoulders, "… Stay with me, Master. Even if I don't always know how to help, I can at least stay with you and keep you safe, can't I? I wish there was more I could do..."

Ai looked up, into her Servant's beautiful, silvery-gold eyes.

She wrapped her arms around Saber and sobbed into her kimono, even as the rain fell all around them. She could feel the warmth of her Servant's body against her…

The short girl felt the samurai's arms wrap around her, and pull her close, too.

Even as it was raining, it was some time before either of them moved again. Ai barely remembered returning home, her mind was simply unable to focus on what she was doing. Even though the rain was now pouring down on the both of them, the brunette couldn't even bring herself to move at anything more then a slow walk, her clothing soaked all the way through as she heard the sound of thunder above.

Saber had been careful to guide her. She'd stopped urging Ai to get out of the rain after only a little while, given that the words simply weren't reaching her.

When they arrived, Ai said nothing to anyone. Not her maids, both of whom looked concerned, Marianne trying to advise her to at least change her clothing to something that wasn't completely soaked. Alys was watching silently from upstairs. The little girl could easily sense something was wrong, even though the both of them had returned safely.

Saber simply followed Ai upstairs, quietly, as they both passed Alys by. The little girl didn't say anything, but she quietly tried to reach towards Ai before hesitating, as she passed out of reach. Saber gently patted her on the head before following her Master. Even if she didn't say anything… at least she was there. Ai no longer knew what to do, but at least she knew that her Servant was still there, still beside her, still warm, still close.

That was all she had, now. She couldn't even be close to Tsubaki anymore, knowing who she truly was. She didn't hate the girl. She couldn't articulate her feelings on Inoue Tsubaki any longer. But she couldn't even bear to be close to her. Not after learning the truth. Even if she had stopped crying, for the moment, her mind was trapped in something like a fog of sadness. Her body felt heavy.

"… Saber… stay close…" she murmured, as she stepped into her room, heading right for the shower. Left with nothing else, all she could do was ask for that, couldn't she?

She heard the hesitation in Saber's voice when she next spoke. It was plainly obvious that her Servant was concerned. Why wouldn't she be?

"Master, I think we… we should try and talk, even if-"

Ai didn't respond, as she approached the bathroom door. Quietly, she pushed it open and shut it before Saber could finish speaking. Once inside, she unbraided her hair, took off her glasses, and undressed.

When the warm water hit her body, all she could do was crouch down, hug her knees to chest, and cry.

* * *

Tsubaki watched as Ai ran. She didn't try to pursue her, how could she? There was no way she could ignore the reality of the situation, that the girl she considered to be her friend and ally undeniably must hate her now. There was no denying her fault in the matter, either. As the rain came down, steadily harder, soaking her body, Inoue Tsubaki knew that there was nothing she could do. The moment the truth came out, Ai would hate her, no matter how it did. She'd desperately wanted to do everything she could to make up for her father's actions, and for a while it seemed as if that would have worked… but it couldn't last, could it?

For a few moments, she simply stared down at her feet. Lancer stood beside her, silently, as the rain came down.

"… Master, I…" Lancer hesitated. This was all so sudden, even a legendary knight didn't know what to do, did she? "… I can't imagine…"

"… It's fine, Lancer," she replied, quietly, "It's not as if there's anything I can do about it any longer. Ai must hate me now…"

Tsubaki's eyes drifted away from her feet, towards Genjiro. He didn't seem to care about the rain, either… Her gaze hardened.

"What are you planning, Hirata?" she asked, narrowing her eyes, "It's not as if this isn't my fault, but there's no way you don't have a reason for telling her."

There was nothing she could do to change what had already occurred. Nothing she could do to make up for what her family did to Ai's. But what she could do was discovered just why Hirata Genjiro had done this. Who was he, that knew exactly what happened? What did he gain from this, when his Servant had already died?

"I simply thought she should know the truth," Genjiro replied, evenly, with a small shrug, "It was your actions that lead to the way she responded to it."

That was something she couldn't deny. As much as the thought made her heart sink, Tsubaki knew full well just how she had caused this. It wasn't as if telling her would have resulted in anything different, and by this point the tanned magus felt, on some level, that this was just the response she deserved.

But that didn't mean Genjiro could be allowed get away with whatever it was that he was intending.

"… Lancer, he's still our enemy," she said, simply. Lancer tore her blue gaze away from her Master, her expression growing more cold as she raised her weapon. And yet…

Genjiro was completely unarmed. He'd made no attempt to attack anyone of them. Nothing he had done was aggressive, and he still showed no signs of doing anything of the sort. Perhaps it was because he knew attacking when Lancer was there was suicidal, or perhaps because he genuinely had no intention of doing so. Whatever the case was, Tsubaki couldn't bring herself to order Lancer to attack an unarmed man. No matter how much her chest had tightened.

"… He is unarmed, Master," came Lancer's voice, and that was the end of it.

"I knew you weren't the sort to attack an unarmed man," responded Genjiro, simply, "My place in this Holy Grail War was has vanished with Rider. This is likely the last time that you'll see me."

Tsubaki's hands curled into fists. There was too much unanswered, too much she didn't understand. If Genjiro had been here the whole time, why had he done nothing to support his Servant? Why had he told Ai about what happened to her parents? It wasn't as if the latter had been the wrong thing to do, but the fact that it was him who told her, rather than herself…

Either way, she knew the result would be Ai's hatred, but at least if she had told her the truth herself…

Tsubaki couldn't even respond to the man. Hirata Genjiro simply turned around and departed the same way he had entered, vanishing into the Harazuki forest.

Tsubaki and Lancer were left alone in the rain, which had steadily grown heavier. The cool water had seeped into her clothing, plastering it against her skin, dripping from her hair. She could hear it tapping against Lancer's armor, as well.

"… We're going home, Lancer," she said, quietly, turning back towards the direction they had initially come from.

"… Master, should you not try to speak to Matsushita?" asked Lancer, as she lowered her spear and began to follow the black-haired magus, "Even considering the actions of your father, you are not respons-"

"Do you really believe she wants to talk to me, Lancer?" she cut off her Servant, "There's no way. I lied to her. I didn't tell her the truth at all. Not that it would have helped."

She gave a hollow laugh.

"I'm the child of the man who murdered her parents. She has every reason to hate me."

Slowly, the both of them were making their way out of the clearing. Even though it was raining, Tsubaki couldn't bring herself to move any more quickly.

"Even so, Master," Lancer replied, "I… you consider her to be your friend, did you not? You are not the one responsible for killing them, are you?"

That didn't matter. She knew Lancer was trying to help, but at the same time she knew there was no way that Ai would ever want to speak to her again. It was fitting that something like this would happen so close to the end of the war. After all, they would need to fight soon, anyway, wouldn't they?

The thought was a bitter one, to Tsubaki. She couldn't bring herself to even consider the idea of harming Ai, not only because of what her father had done but because of the fact that they had been friends. Ai was such a small, and delicate girl… and Tsubaki had hurt her. Even if Genjiro had been the one who told her truth, Tsubaki knew it was her fault.

For a long time, the tanned girl and the blonde knight walked through the rain in silence.

Lancer sometimes tried to speak, but nothing she said earned a reply from Tsubaki. She was just trying to help, and to be honest the magus felt guilty about shutting her out, but there was nothing words could do at this point. But really, it wasn't as if anything else would have helped, either. There was some small part of her, as she walked, that did want to try speaking with Ai again, but what could she even say? Try to apologize for her father's actions? She didn't even know the circumstances, her father had never seemed very forthcoming about them. He had never spoke much about anything that had occurred in the last Holy Grail War.

Soon enough, they had reached the Minami bridge. It was the quickest path back to Tsubaki's home, from this location at least.

"Master… Nothing good can come of refusing to speak about it," Lancer urged, as they started across the bridge. At this time of night, in this weather, there wasn't anyone else out. It was isolated, aside from the two of them, "And… perhaps if you did speak with her, the both of you could-"

"She'll hate me, Lancer," Tsubaki replied, morosely. At the moment, she could think of no other outcome. "She must already, so there's no way a conversation could change it. There's no point in trying to speak with her any longer. It's my fault."

The blonde knight was silent for a moment, as the rain continued to fall. By this point, the both of them were soaked.

"… Master, this is not the person I know," Lancer said, "That is not to say this situation is not every bit as terrible as it sounds, but you are someone who always did her best to confront every problem ahead of you. You are not the one who killed Matsushita Ai's parents. You cannot take responsibility for it, nor should you. This-"

Suddenly, she froze. Wordlessly she turned away, facing down the bridge. The storm made it difficult to see if there was anything ahead, but Tsubaki had been dragged out of her thoughts by the way Lancer had immediately stopped speaking. Her blue eyes were narrowed, fixed on something some distance down the bridge… Whatever it was, Tsubaki couldn't see it.

"Lancer?"

"Something is coming," replied the Servant, her tone on edge. Golden light coalesced in her right hand, forming the shape of the Trap of Argalia as it did. Had Theomanius sent Archer to mount an attack on the enemy Servants, now that so few remained?

"Is it Archer?" she asked, her heartbeat quickening. She hadn't been prepared for another Servant battle so soon.

Lancer shook her head, slowly, raising her lance as she did. For a moment, Tsubaki wondered if it was Saber, returning on her Master's orders to take them on. But the both of them had left in the opposite direction, if nothing else. Which meant… If it wasn't Archer…

Had Atlas truly summoned an eighth Servant?

"There's something wrong," said Lancer, suddenly, still looking across the bridge. "This… this is not a normal Servant. It feels… dark…"

Dark? What did the blonde knight mean? It didn't make any sense to Tsubaki, but now she was certain. This was Atlas's eighth Servant. Whoever it was, the most important thing was that the alchemists really had managed to call another Heroic Spirit.

Whatever had been summoned was now approaching them from across the bridge. The sheets of rain made it nearly impossible to see for some time, the tense moments ticking by, but then…

A figure was slowly becoming visible through the rain. As it approached, Tsubaki was able to discern more and more details of the eighth Servant's appearance.

She was a girl, older then Tsubaki herself, but still fairly young. Her bare feet were not touching the street, she simply floated instead. Her skin was incredibly pale, her eyes a shade of pale gold, and dull, unlike that of Saber's. Her hair was silver, almost white, her dark red dress oddly angular, red markings adorning part of her face and her upper arms… Beside her, there floated a strange cube, roughly the size of the Servant's head and adorned with unusual geometric patterns, shifting in colors from dark purples, to browns, to blacks…

She was oddly, ethereally beautiful… and yet something was so terribly, terribly wrong. Physically there were no abnormalities, beyond perhaps the Servant's extremely pale complexion, but there was something so terribly wrong, discernable simply by laying eyes upon her. Tsubaki couldn't understand what it was that was so horribly off about the young woman's appearance, and yet it was impossible to ignore.

Quite simply, that Servant did not look as if she belonged in this world.

"… Master, stay back. I do not know the name of this Servant, but there's no denying the danger she poses," Lancer asserted, stepping forward to take defensive position in front of Tsubaki. Both of her hands were now firmly placed on the Trap of Argalia.

The other Servant came to a halt several meters away. The box simply floated beside her, as she remained still, nonplussed by the falling rain. Instead, she simply, quietly, cocked her head to the side, dull gold eyes drifting from Tsubaki herself to settle on Lancer, instead.

"The Knight of the Spear," said the dark Servant, softly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the falling rain, "Lancer. So the first one I have met is Lancer…"

When she spoke, her voice was totally flat, completely without any sort of inflection or tone. She was entirely expressionless, as well. Trying to clear her mind, Tsubaki attempted to discern what she was looking at. There was no doubt in her mind that the strange box was this Servant's Noble Phantasm, but what was her class? Caster, to replace the first Servant to have died?

"… I won't ask your name, but what is your class? You are an irregular eighth Servant…" Lancer kept her cavalry lance trained on the dark figure.

"I'll tell you both, Lancer of France," replied the Servant, a small smile coming to her lips.

"Avenger…"

She paused for a moment, her smile growing. Avenger?! But that wasn't one of the standard seven Servant classes…!

"Pandora."

* * *

Pandora. The legendary woman created by the gods as a gift, the one who opened the box that unleashed all the evils of the world upon humanity. But not of her own volition, due to trickery of the gods of Greece. The girl who had become a profaned offering to the human race. She had been created to wrong them, even though it was not of her own free will. And now she stood before them, summoned into the irregular Servant class of Avenger. Was it because of her position in mythology, or because of the resentment she must have felt towards the deities that used her as a tool?

Or was it both?

Regardless of the case, Lancer kept the tip of the Trap of Argalia trained carefully on Avenger, even as the rain continued to pour down upon them. The bridge was wide, and relatively open, with little cover. On top of that, there was no way that the box drifting alongside her was not the mythical box that had unleashed All the Evils of the world. If it was her Noble Phantasm, there was no telling what it would do…

Glancing towards her Master, Lancer would see the expression on Tsubaki's face. It was one of shock, and confusion. The arrival of an eighth Servant was already unexpected, but when the identity of that Servant was one of the most famous figures out of Greek mythology…

The blonde knight took a deep breath before speaking.

"… And what is your purpose, here, Avenger?" she asked. Of course, it was hardly difficult to guess on her own, that a fight was about to begin. But Lancer wanted to test her opponent first, to avoid making the first move when she could not guess at her enemy's capabilities.

"My purpose…?" asked Pandora, her smile fading to a neutral expression once more as she tilted her head again, soaking wet hair hanging behind her. "Isn't it obvious…? I'm here to defeat one of my opponents, then kill the rest and claim the Holy Grail. Is that not what you have been doing?"

Lancer narrowed her blue eyes. It wasn't as if it wasn't obvious, but again, Lancer had hoped to bait Avenger into an attack to get an idea of what she was capable of. Attacking such a dark presence without any consideration would be incredibly dangerous, and while she would do it without hesitation if her Master or others were in immediate danger, for the moment it did not seem as if Pandora was going to start suddenly attacking.

She could take solace in that, at least.

"Then I must defeat you here!" declared Lancer, thrusting her cavalry lance forward. She pushed her mana outwards, letting energy course into the Trap of Argalia-…

But the light sputtered and died. No golden magical power suffused the weapon. For a moment, the blonde knight couldn't comprehend what had happened. She had done exactly as she always had, to empower her weapon with the divine mana granted to her by God, and yet nothing had happened. No, it wasn't as if nothing had happened at all. The golden light had briefly flared around the shape of her lance. Rather it was as if it had been cancelled out, nullified before she could use it properly. How was that possible?! It had been given to her by the grace of God…!

"Lancer?" she heard Tsubaki's voice form behind her, "What… what hap-"

Suddenly, some sort of dark mana blazed around Avenger's box. Something black, something seething with red, came hurtling from the container, and Lancer acted as swiftly as she could, yanking Tsubaki to the side as she darted away from it. As it flew past her, she could make out just what it was: Some kind of blackened mud.

A darkness that had emerged from Pandora's box… There was no question of it. That black mud was some sort of embodiment of the evil that had been contained inside of it. That substance, seething with darkness, was unquestionably All the Evils of the World.

"Is something wrong, Lancer?" asked Pandora, her voice rising, her tone going from flat to almost amused, "Were you not capable of far stronger displays of power? A sputtering light isn't very impressive, is it?"

It didn't take much thought to come to the obvious conclusion. Some capability that Avenger possessed had prevented her from using her divine light to empower the Trap of Argalia. What could possibly have done so? It was granted to her by God! How was it possible for Avenger to cancel it out?

"… What did you do?!" Lancer demanded, remaining in position in front of her Master.

"When I was tricked into opening the box by those bastards in the guise of gods," began Avenger, smiling once more, "It wasn't simply the evils of the world being unleashed. All the blessings were lost, as well."

She spread her arms wide, her smile spreading into a grin.

"The blessings of the gods cannot exist in my presence! I deny the gifts those things that were called divine give to whoever was unfortunate enough to gain their favor!"

Even God's light was unable to help her here… Lancer took a deep breath. She was still a skilled knight. She was still capable of defeating any enemy she could encounter. Even one as dark as this. No, in fact, because she was a Knight of God, this was exactly the sort of enemy she was best suited to destroying!

And yet…

That black mud. She could feel it, just how powerful it was. The corruption was practically dripping from it. If it so much as touched Tsubaki…

"… Master, run," she said, "This is an opponent who could destroy you in an instant. That black mud truly is All the Evils of the World."

"Lancer? But I have to support you, don't I?!" cried Tsubaki, stunned. The rain was pouring down harder.

"You can tend to any injuries I sustain after I have claimed victory," Lancer insisted, "For now, it is for your own safety. That black mud could kill you before either of us could do anything about it."

"But-"

"Go, Master!" snapped Lancer, firmly, "There is nothing you can do here! Avenger is no ordinary opponent, it is for the best if I fight her while you remain at a distance!"

Finally, after a few moments of hesitation, a reluctant Tsubaki turned and fled. Avenger made no effort to stop her, rather watching her run with her head cocked to one side, her smile having faded.

"A noble act," commented the extremely pale young woman, her tone flat once more, "As expected from a knight such as yourself. Your Master will survive somewhat longer."

Somewhat? Lancer's blue eyes narrowed. No, no matter what kind of enemy Lancer was, she would defeat her here. Rather, she had to. That black mud… it wasn't simply a dangerous weapon, it was something that could kill humans on a massive scale if it was unleashed. Simply being near it had given enough of an understanding to the knight. If Pandora opened her box wide enough, there was no telling what would happen.

"I shall end it here, Avenger!" declared Lancer, leaning forward as she did, her cape and ponytail fluttering even dampened with the relentless rain. She could see a trio of magic circles, one above Pandora's head and the others to her sides, spiral into existence. So she was a magus as well…!

There was a flash of purple light from each of the circles as beams of mana screamed through the air towards her! But Lancer wasn't about to be taken off-guard by such an obvious attack! In the blink of an eye, the knight darted to the side, her speed forming a curtain of rainwater around her as she sprinted forward. Even though she could no longer use the blessings of God, therefore unable to attack at long range, she could still strike Avenger directly!

When she neared the enemy Servant, there was immediately a shower of sparks and light as the Trap of Argalia's tip struck a brilliant purple barrier! It scrapped along its side, and before Lancer could turn to try and pierce it, the box opened once more…!

Lancer moved, sprinting past Avenger as a stream of black mud was released into the spot she once occupied. It splattered across the bridge, spraying dark muck across the concrete. There was no way she could allow that mud to touch her. It would be deadly to humans, and to a Servant she had no idea how dangerous it could be.

"If you're thinking that you can avoid my attacks so easily, you're mistaken," Avenger commented. Before Lancer's eyes, the mud that had sprayed across the bridge suddenly rose, curling in on itself and forming a seething black mass in the air. It stretched, creating what almost appeared to be a huge stake of blackened muck, before launching itself towards her almost immediately! So she could freely manipulate the mud even if had already left the box?!

"This dark muck is a part of my very existence, Lancer!" shouted Avenger, as the mud twisted to pursue Lancer even as she dodged the initial strike, "I can control it as easily as I can control one of my limbs! The gods ensured that my life was inexorably intertwined with every evil known to mankind, so how could it be any different!?"

Lancer inwardly cursed. This made striking at Avenger all the more difficult…! But it reaffirmed her decision to insist her Master fled. There was no way that she could defend against the mud when it was possible for Avenger to control it like this! It was following her with incredible accuracy, pinpointing her movements perfectly… It would be difficult to shake it off!

The lights flared around Avenger's form again. She was attempting to cut off Lancer's evasion with another set of spells to bring her to a halt…! But…!

As each shot fired, they never hit! Instead, it was as if a barrier was around Lancer's body, forcing the mana to flow around her!

"… A high rank of Magic Resistance, then?" mused Avenger, cocking her head to the side as she did, "I suppose I should have suspected that was the case."

The circles around Pandora's body faded away, and the box was once again beginning to open… inwardly, Lancer cursed again. Shaking a single stream of mud was difficult enough, but a second one?! This was going to be even more hazardous… The knight girl glanced towards the bridge's supports. Maybe if she could gain some height! Turning sharply, she placed one armored foot on one of the enormous wires and pushed off, sending herself into the air as she made her way put the side of the bridge. Pandora seemed momentarily confused, before directing her mud upwards, to pursue her! But that was fine, that was exactly what Lancer was expecting!

The circles flared around Avenger once more, this time smaller, and shifting lower. It took a moment for Lancer to realize what it was that her enemy was intending, until she began to fire the bolts of mana. She was trying to take out the support wires that the knight was using as her pathway! The one just behind her hissed as the mana burned through it, the molten metal dripping down as the enormous support tipped sideways. But if she could keep moving fast enough… she simply had to get into a position above Avenger!

As long as she could keep moving ahead of Pandora's magical attacks, and stay out of reach of the black mud, that would be enough until she reached the position she needed. Therefore, she simply had to keep moving, leaping from support to support in order to outpace her attacks! While Saber still outstripped her in agility, the Lancer class was known for being agile as well! The mud was gaining slowly, but as long as she kept out of its reach…!

There! She had the perfect position! Twisting in place, just as Avenger prepared to fire another barrage of magical projectiles, Lancer sprang off of the support, raising the Trap of Argalia over her head as she hurtled through the air! As the rain came pouring down, so too did Lancer careen towards Avenger! The pale young woman's dull gold eyes widened with surprise, and immediately her magic circles tilted inwards to fire on the knight. But it was no use! They were simply deflected by Lancer's Magic Resistance!

Avenger slid back through the air, a magic circle materializing in front of her as she did, another barrier. But with this momentum…!  
With a shout, Lancer brought her cavalry lance down, slamming it into the purple barrier! There was a shower of sparks at the contact between both the weapon and the shield, sizzling in the falling rain! But the bridge beneath Avenger split, crumbled, and-!

Avenger was knocked clear through the bridge! She hurtled downwards through the crumbling concrete, slamming into the lower layers and tearing to the waters below, crashing through them with a resounding splash!

Lancer's armor clanked as she landed beside the newly-made hole in the bridge. While she hadn't struck Pandora directly, the impact of her blow had sent her opponent smashing through the solid concrete and steel. The mud that had been pursuing her collapsed into a seething pool on the bridge, no longer following her but lingering there. The knight was not so foolish to think her opponent was dead, not when she had failed to pierce Avenger's barrier, but certainly the enemy Servant was not capable of mounting an immediate counterattack after taking a blow strong enough to cause her to hurtle through the enter bridge.

The blonde girl straightened, hand gripping the Trap of Argalia more tightly. While she felt certain a counterattack was unlikely, at the same time something didn't feel right. It was a persistent suspicion in the back of her mind that in spite of the blow she had dealt Avenger, the other Servant was not entirely disabled. After all, she was still unable to channel mana into her weapon…

Moments later, this suspicion was proven exactly right.

As Lancer glanced towards the side of the bridge, she was briefly taken aback as a large tendril of black mud exploded from the water, raising up and over the bridge. But it wasn't simply one, three more similar blackened limbs composed of the muck erupted from the waves, the rain hissing as it splashed against them! Each of the mud tendrils curled inwards, over Lancer and the bridge itself, before slamming down, almost as if they were fingers wrapping around the entire structure! But Lancer did not simply stand idly and allow this to happen. Sprinting forward, the rain splashing against her armor, Lancer darted out of the path of the immense tendrils, avoiding their impact entirely! She spun on her heel, awaiting Avenger's reappearance, but the mud simply seemed to slip back into the water…

And Pandora burst from the water at her right! Before Lancer could turn to face her opponent, a series of needle-like projectiles suddenly materialized in the air around the enemy Servant, launching themselves at Lancer through the rain with blistering speed! But even taken by surprise, the knight was hardly out of options! Instinct allowed her to react incredibly swiftly, meaning she could deflect even attacks like this! The side of her cavalry lance slammed against one of the spikes, sending it hurling through the air as she shifted her position, the others slicing through the rain as they tore past her!

"Even without the blessing of your god, you are still a Servant of considerable power," commented Avenger, landing lightly on the opposite side of the bridge, "… Excellent."

Avenger was pleased to be fighting a powerful opponent? Regardless of the reasons why, Lancer knew that she would have to take every chance she could in order to win. Pandora possessed powerful ranged capabilities, that mud being chief amongst them. The darkness lurking inside of Pandora's Box… she had to do everything she could to prevent it touching her. She wasn't certain what would happen if it did, but every part of her mind screamed not to allow it.

And, after all, it was an attack by her enemy. Why would she let it touch her?

In spite of these ranged capabilities, the fact was that Avenger had not exhibited any capabilities in melee. No, Pandora seemed to be unsuited to close-range combat, beyond the use of barriers to prevent herself from being struck. Even in spite of the fact that she was capable of cancelling any skills relating to the gifts of gods, if Lancer could engage her at close range, if she could stay in melee with the enemy Servant, she felt certain she could win!

"I am a knight of God, and of France," declared the armored girl, pointing the tip of her Lance towards her opponent, "This is the role I filled in life. As long as I remain as such, I shall not lose against an enemy like you, Avenger!"

Pandora's neutral expression cracked once more, a large grim forming as she almost seemed to chuckle, before blackened mana began to seep from the box as it opened once more… This time, Lancer didn't wait for the attack, sprinting right towards Avenger before she could fully open the box! Avenger was capable of acting quite swiftly as well, spewing more mud from the box as she did, but Lancer was prepared! She darted to the side, letting it careen past her. Even if Pandora could control the black mud, if she reached her first…!

The tip of the Trap of Argalia slammed against one of Pandora's barriers! But this time, rather then holding fast, it cracked! Before she could press her advantage in melee, however, a set of spikes formed around Avenger once more, and she could hear the mud beginning to shift behind her. As the spikes fired, she was forced to retreat, springing back several meters and swiftly stepping to the side to avoid the second charge of the mud.

While it was undeniable she held the advantage in melee, it was difficult for Lancer to take that advantage when her opponent's abilities allowed her to disrupt the knight whenever she got into a close-range battle. The seething muck was already twisting in on itself and turning about again, preparing to pursue her once more!

She had to shatter that barrier as swiftly as possible! If Lancer could break it before Avenger could counterattack her, then she would be able to deal a critical injury, or perhaps even kill the enemy Servant! It was her best possible chance, given how powerful her opponent was at range.

But if she could stop Avenger here, not only could she return to her Master in victory, but she could also prevent the danger that her enemy posed to all the other innocent people living in Minami. That mud… it truly was evil.

The muck sprang towards her once more, and once again it swiftly followed Lancer even as she did her best to evade!

It spread, like fingers reaching out towards her, attempting to grasp at her. But the blonde knight wouldn't allow that blackened mud to so much as brush past her. She couldn't let a single piece of it come into contact with her body, not when it felt so incredibly dark. Even if it hadn't issued forth from what was undeniably Pandora's Box, the sheer sensation of its presence would have been enough to indicate its nature. Even if she had not introduced herself by name, a box that spat out All the Evils of the World would be enough to tell Lancer just what her opponent's true identity was. Perhaps that was why Avenger had been uninhibited in revealing her true name.

Or perhaps she simply didn't care.

For a while, the battle continued like this. While Lancer was perfectly capable of evading the black mud and the strange needles, and attacks via magecraft were of little threat to her, it made it difficult for her to press her advantage in melee. Pandora, for all she almost seemed as if she was not paying attention to the battle(her face once again wholly neutral, her eyes still seemingly dull and lifeless), was doing everything she could to keep the lance-wielding Servant at a distance. She had to break through…!

A stream of dark needles materialized around Avenger and fired once more, this time aiming ahead of Lancer. Narrowing her blue eyes, and gritting her teeth, the knight stepped back, swinging the Trap of Argalia to deflect one of the spiraling projectiles as it hurtled towards her, most of the others burying themselves in the concrete ahead of her feet! Avenger was trying to force her back into the black mud! Rather then letting it touch her, however, Lancer broke to her left, darting to the side instead. Unfortunately, it put further distance between herself and Avenger…

"Are you just going to keep running, Lancer?" came Pandora's voice, over the falling rain, "You were boasting of your abilities as a fighter, before…"

It didn't sound like a taunt, more like an observation. The enemy Servant's tone was once again flat, neutral, without inflection. It didn't sound as if she was trying to anger Lancer, but at the same time it hardly failed to do so. It wasn't as if Lancer wasn't attempting to attack every opportunity she got! It was just that Avenger's ability to keep her moving and at a distance was extraordinary… But she couldn't allow the battle to keep on this course. There could have been other abilities that Avenger had not yet displayed, and simply trying to outrun the fight was an unacceptable solution. No, she had to find a way to strike at Pandora, to pierce her shield!

Another hail of spines flew her way, once again lead ahead of her, forcing her to change her direction. As long as that mud was in pursuit, Lancer couldn't stop moving… And she couldn't strike with enough power to break the barrier in a single blow.

But she had to. She had to shatter it. She couldn't keep running.

She had to try.

The blessing granted to her by God was what gave her even greater power, allowing her to funnel mana into her body and weapons at an enormous rate. But Avenger had nullified it, preventing her from utilizing that blessing as long as she was close by. Even so, however, that didn't mean there was nothing she could do. There was a reason she had been granted such a blessing in the first place, after all!

But she had to find an opening before she could do anything else!

Lancer turned, another shower of needles being unleashed towards her. Slamming her lance down, she buried the tip into the concrete and tore a chunk of it from the bridge, sending it hurtling into the air, towards the shower of mud. If nothing else, it would at least disrupt it and force Pandora to open her box once more before if she wanted to attack again immediately! She had to force an opening! She had to strike as quickly as she could!

The Knight of the White Plume had to take this chance!

"There is one mistake you made, Avenger!" she declared, the hunk of concrete slamming into the mud and smashing it down, if only for a moment.

"… Oh? What is that, Lancer?" asked the enemy Servant flatly, gesturing towards her box. It was opening again…

"I was a Knight of France, dedicated to justice," responded Lancer, narrowing her eyes. She could feel it… her body was blazing. She was forcing herself to do something she had never attempted to even in life, but she knew that her blessing relied on her own stores of mana. If she could just use those… it wouldn't be as powerful, but all she needed was a little more… even as it burned through her… "That is why I received my blessing. It was my duty that granted me God's grace!"

"The blessings of any god are nothing more then a sham," replied Pandora, simply, cocking her head to one side, "And so-"

The mana flowed through Lancer's body, erupting across the Trap of Argalia! The golden light had returned, even as pain leapt through the knight's frame. It was not a brilliant glow, as it was when she was using her blessing, but even this faint light was enough! It was what she needed! Just as the mud emerged from beneath the concrete, and began to flow from Pandora's box, she erupted forward, the sheer force of her movement causing the rain to be repelled from her!

Pandora, having been taken by surprise, could only manifest another rotating barrier in front of her! But even with this enhancement to her weapon, it wouldn't be enough!

The tip of the Trap of Argalia met Avenger's barrier, and in that instant it cracked, and then shattered! Lancer caught sight of the enemy Servant's dull gold eyes widening, and her weapon hit home with a burst of magical energy!

Pandora's left arm exploded off of her body, blood as black as the mud from that box spewing into the air! It tumbled across the bridge, sparks flying from Lancer's armored feet as she was carried past her opponent, rotating in place by using her momentum. She had dealt a serious injury to her enemy! Severed one of her arms! But that wasn't enough, as Avenger clutched at the bleeding stump, Lancer exploded into action once more.

"I shall end it here, Avenger!" she cried! Lancer drew her golden lance back and-

Something hot shot through her entire body, all at once. The origin point was her back, between her shoulder blades, but it was spreading through her entire body, now. The knight slowed to a halt, gasping. It was… it was so painful, and yet…

Slowly, her blue gaze drifted downwards. Her chestplate had been pierced, as well, the tip of a tendril of black mud emerging from it. Lancer had been entirely pierced through by Avenger's black mud. Veins of darkness flowed from it, spreading across her armor like cracks, and slowing growing…

The Trap of Argalia dropped from her hand. Her eyes felt heavy… Lancer slowly found her gaze drifting towards Avenger. She'd… failed…?  
Pandora was grinning.

"… Excellent," she said, seeming unperturbed by the loss of her left arm. Indeed, moments later, the answer as to why became obvious: With an ugly, squelching sound, a new limp erupted grotesquely from the stump, a fully-formed replacement. So Avenger could regenerate…  
She'd failed…

"… Worry not, Lancer," Pandora continued, her grin widening, "Your role in this Holy Grail War has not ended."

Lancer could feel it. There was something growing inside of her. From the mud as its origin, it was spreading just like those veins of darkness, across her body, reaching towards her cheeks. A seething blackness, seeping into her very origin as a Heroic Spirit. Weakly, in vain, she attempted to grasp at the black mud and pull it from her body, but that just made the darkness spread to her hands as well.

"I-I… Master…"

"Didn't I tell you not to worry?" came Pandora's voice again, and Lancer felt a hand on her cheek, "Sleep now."

The world blackened around Lancer, as sudden walls of mud rose around her, curving inwards.

Her last thoughts before they folded in on her, were of Tsubaki, and how she had utterly failed her Master.

"I'm… sorry…"

And then she was engulfed in blackness.

Pandora simply watched, as the mud formed perfectly into a sphere around the other Servant.

"… You will feel far better when you awaken, my beautiful Lancer~"

And some distance from the bridge, Tsubaki watched in horror and despair as the red markings of her command seal faded from her hand. There was no need for any confirmation. The last words of her Servant had been a reassurance that she would see her again, but…

Even as the rain came pouring down, the magus fell to her knees and cried.

* * *

It had rained all night.

Ai hadn't slept particularly well, but eventually she'd simply failed to stay awake any longer, from sheer exhaustion. The short brunette girl couldn't be certain just what time it was when she finally nodded off, especially since the storm made it difficult to see anything but darkness. Even after she'd awakened, there was a long period of time where she lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to feel any motivation to get up, after what she had learned the previous day. The information kept replaying over and over in her head, the fact that her ally and friend was the daughter of the man who had killed her parents. What could she do? Could she do anything? Was there any point in trying, any longer?

Ai didn't know anymore.

Even when her maids came in to tell her that breakfast was ready, the small girl simply felt listless, unlike she could do anything more then lie in bed. At one point, Alysvial peered into her room, but, uncertain, simply left after a few moments. Ai's entire body felt heavy, and she simply couldn't motivate herself to get out of bed.

Eventually, however, Saber entered the bedroom.

"… Master…" she began, "I… I know how you must feel. Having learned that someone you feel is your friend was related to the death of your family. That she's the daughter of the one responsible for the deaths of your parents. But the circumstances of her birth, of her father's actions, this wasn't anything she chose."

The silvery-haired girl sat on her bed. Slowly, Ai sat up, if only to get a better look at her Servant.

"It's terrible, to know that someone you call a friend, an ally, was tied to something like that," she continued. "You can't possibly know what to do. It's almost unimaginable. But it's nothing that she chose, nor that she desired. How could Inoue-san have known what to tell you?"

Ai was silent. It wasn't as if Saber's words were untrue. She knew that Tsubaki bore no real responsibility for the deaths of her parents, that it was entirely the acts of her father. But at the same time, how did someone even talk to the child of their parents' killer?

"But it's not only that," Saber continued, turning to face her Master. "You wanted to make your parents proud, didn't you? And you have been. You've been pushing forward every day and doing everything you can to fight in this Holy Grail War. I'm sure that they're happy to know how hard you've been fighting. You can't let yourself falter now, can you?"

For a few moments, Ai simply didn't say anything. But then…

"… Fighting in the war that killed them, making friends with the child of the man who killed them…" she said, morosely, "That sure is something to be proud of, isn't it…?"

"Showing your prowess as a magus, coming out on top again and again," Saber responded, "And don't just say I'm the only reason you ever won a battle, you're the one who summoned me and helped to create the plan that defeated Rider. Your familiars are the reason we won that battle. But there's more to it than that, Master."

There was more to it? Ai had entered this war because she knew it was what the organization wanted, and that it was something she thought that would make her parents proud. But in the end, it didn't seem like any of that was true, any longer. Aside from the organization's desire to ensure that she entered the war, would her parents ever had been proud of something like this? The small magus couldn't see how, nor she could see what else was left.

"You've pushed forward, because of yourself. Because of your own desires, Master," Saber continued, a small smile coming to her lips as she looked down at her Master, "You've made it this far of your own free will. If you didn't want to succeed for yourself, could you have kept fighting, truly? I'm certain that's what your parents would have wanted to see, above anything else. Their daughter pushing ahead not simply for them, but because she wanted to."

Was that true…? She'd… Ai placed one hand to her chest. She'd pushed forward all this time, she'd wanted to win… even after something as terrible as the fate of Yumimura Saori came to life, she'd wanted to keep fighting. For her parents' sake, for her organization's sake, for the sake of ending the war before any other innocent people got hurt, but also… also because she had made it so far, because if it ended now… what was the reason for coming so far in the first place?

She had no wish for the Holy Grail. But at the same time, to win it… after everything had happened, if she stopped now…

"… You talk about me like I'm someone amazing, Saber," she responded, averting her eyes from the beautiful samurai, "But I'm not. You keep saying what a wonderful Master I am, but all I've done is stood by and watched while you won every battle. Before I summoned you… I just drifted through life. No-one spoke to me, I didn't speak to anyone else. I just stayed in my room alone."

Her fingers gripped at the bedsheets, as she stared down at her lap.

"I was like a ghost. The only time anyone even said anything to me was when they had to. And now the first girl who ever decided I was worth talking to… the first friend I made in over ten years…"

She could feel the tears beginning to well up again.

But then, she felt Saber's hand on her shoulder.

"You are an amazing person, Ai. You were thrust into a battle between heroic spirits right out of legend, and you've made it this far. You've helped me recover from serious injuries, and supplied me with enough mana that I feel like I can do anything!" she replied, her smile growing slightly, "You've participated in planning battles that defeated powerful enemies, and as for Inoue-san…"

Slowly, Ai looked up.

"There's no doubt in my mind that she truly, truly cares. Sometimes, terrible things happen, and you might think that there's nothing you can do. Sometimes even the people you care about seem to have become a part of something terrible. But you have to keep going, with a smile on your face. I don't mean simply bearing it. I don't mean bottling up your feelings inside. I mean that you should smile and push forward so that there can be a better tomorrow."

"… S-Saber…"

Ai trembled, eyes wide. Her Servant… those words were… It was everything that Saber truly believed. That she really was amazing, that Tsubaki… really had wanted to be her friend for more reasons than just guilt, that… that there could be a future that was worth it.

This beautiful girl truly believed in her.

Everything, in that moment, bubbled over in Ai's heart. Tears flowing freely down her cheeks, Ai leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her Servant, tightly, pulling herself close to the other girl and burying her face in the fabric of her clothing. For a few moments, she stayed like this, the girl samurai returning the favor, and holding her close, but that sensation in her chest kept building up more and more…

"S-Saber… I-I… I…"

She quaked, looking up towards her lovely Servant's face…

"I-I love you!"

For a moment, the entire world seemed to go still. In that instant, Ai had no longer been able to restrain her feelings. She'd realized it for a while now, known what the feeling that welled up in her heart every time she looked at her Servant truly was. But she hadn't been able to speak about it before. She hadn't been able to tell the beautiful Saber-class Servant just how it was she felt. Whether it be due to her own hesitation, or due to outside interference, before this very moment she had simply never been able to say it. But now, it had come pouring out all at once.

The girl samurai's silver-gold eyes widened. Ai could see her cheeks flushing, but she didn't reply immediately… so Ai continued.

"I… E-ever since I s-saw you for the first time, I… I couldn't get over how beautiful you are," the short brunette said, her heart hammering in her chest, her hands trembling, "But… but that wasn't all! You're… you're so skilled… and kind… y-you… you truly believe in me. I-it's not just because you're my Servant, it's because you're such a kind and loving person."

For a few moments, her words hung in the air. But she wasn't done.

"You… you say you're a manslayer, but you're so much more than that! You're so brave, you're so gentle… you were kind to me, any time I felt like I can't go on you always know what to say… You did everything you could to help Alys-chan, even though she was one of our enemies… A-and you're so elegant, and beautiful… y-your hair, your f-face… th-those lovely eyes… I… I really… I truly love you, Saber!"

"I… I…"

Saber stumbled over herself for a moment, opening and closing her mouth.

"You… love… me? But… I'm… I…" she trailed off, placing one hand to one of her flushed cheeks, another over her heart. In that moment,

Ai couldn't help but wonder if Saber's heart was beating just as fast as her own. "I… Ah…"

Both of the pale girl's hands raised to her cheeks, which had become even more red at this point.

"B-but I… I'm… I'm a manslayer who doesn't know anything about love! I n-never… I never… n-no one ever told me anything l-like that…" she trailed off for a few moments, her entire body trembling, "I-I'm not H-Hijikata-san, I… I never had any l-lovers… I-I didn't even know girls could… girls could…"

She stumbled over herself, and there was a small part of Ai that felt a little amused that she'd managed to set her beautiful Saber completely off-balance… But the rest of her was horribly nervous.

However, it was Saber herself who had said that you had to keep pushing forward, wasn't it?

"I… I've never said anything like this to anyone before, either," replied Ai, her golden eyes drifting downwards slightly, "It's the first time I ever felt this way about someone… I… I've known I liked girls for a while, but… but I never came to love anyone this way… until now… S-Saber… I…"

Now it was her turn to stumble over herself, her gaze drifting back up towards her Servant's eyes, her hands clenching at the sheets.

"… M-maybe… maybe that's…" Saber half-mumbled, then shook her head, "I… d-didn't know girls could love other girls… and I didn't know about love at all… is that why I couldn't tell…?"

Why she couldn't tell? Ai wasn't certain what her Servant meant by that.

"S-Saber…?"

"… I've felt strange for a while now, Master," continued the swordswoman, softly, "I wasn't sure what it was… my chest felt strange. It felt so tight inside… like something was going to burst inside of me. But I'd never felt it before, so I didn't know what it was. I just knew I felt that way when we talked, Master…"

Saber… Saber felt that way whenever they talked, but she didn't realize what this meant? Ai had been afraid. She'd been scared that Saber wouldn't feel the same way about her, she'd been terrified that Saber wouldn't even be capable of feeling that way for another girl. That was one of the reasons it had been so hard to say anything before. But now, Ai was learning that she'd felt like this for so long, she just didn't know what it meant…

"… W-was that love, Master?" Saber asked, hands still on her flushed cheeks, "I… I didn't know. I wanted to stay close to you and protect you, but… but I thought that was because you were my Master. I liked being near you, but I thought it was because we were friends, and Master and Servant. I didn't realize that… this tightness in my chest was anything else…"

Slowly, she lowered her hands from her face.

"… I… I didn't even know I was… I liked… girls like that…" she murmured, "B-but… Master… y-you could… really love a manslayer with a transient body like me? S-someone who never even realized what love f-felt like? S-someone who… who never…"

Saber trailed off, her silvery-gold eyes drifting downwards as she did.

"… It's… it's okay, Saber," responded Ai, a shaky smile forming on her lips, "I already told you. You're so much more than a manslayer."

Slowly, she reached out, placing her hand on top of Saber's.

"And this… this is my first time doing anything like this, too…" she added, looking into her Servant's eyes again. It wasn't as if she'd never felt an inkling of this sort of feeling before. There had been other girls before where she felt some attraction… it was how she'd learned she was attracted to the same sex in the first place. But she'd never been so close to anyone to develop feelings of love, before now. Ai had always been too frightened to even speak to anyone, let alone spark any kind of relationship. But now, with all this time spent alongside that beautiful girl that was her Servant…

"… Th-this isn't anything like… like… I-I… I thought… I…" Saber was stumbling over herself, her fingers grasping weakly at the sheets as she did. Ai's grip on her soft hand tightened. Even her hands were so beautiful, pale, delicate-looking… Even though Saber was the taller of the two girls, she had always possessed this fragile look. And yet she'd proven time and time again just how much of a skilled and strong fighter she was, how capable she was in combat, in spite of looking so frail. And yet right now, she seemed just as fragile as she looked, completely unprepared for anything relating to romance.

And yet, deep down, Ai felt the same way. Everything had just come spilling out of her so quickly. Her emotions had bubbled over and come pouring right out of her, almost before she could even think. But in this moment, she couldn't help but be glad… no matter how much her heart hammered in her chest, no matter how much she had been afraid, she was so incredibly happy she had finally told Saber her feelings. She was so happy she had learned that the girl samurai really had shared such feelings. In spite of everything that had happened, she couldn't help but feel joy.

"Aaaah," Saber cried, suddenly, "This isn't a-anything like swordplay! I-I don't know what to s-say, I… I…"

The sudden outburst was surprising, but there was no way to ignore that it was really quite cute, as well… Saber was not only beautiful, but cute. There were so many reasons to love her, her appearance, her personality… there was nothing about her that Ai didn't love.

"… Y-you've said s-so much and I-I've b-barely… s-said anything…" mumbled Saber, her cheeks having grown even more flushed. "Y-you… y-you're… c-cute! A-and beautiful! A-ah… a-and you're a lot braver then you think you are, a-and y-you're a wonderful M-Master and… and… and…"

Beautiful? She was beautiful even though she had this immature, child-like body? For a moment it was Ai's turn to be taken aback, but she found herself smiling.

"You… you don't need to say anything, Saber," she said, finding herself stammering less and less. "The fact that you feel the same way is all I needed to know. I'm… I'm so happy, I was scared you wouldn't feel that way about me…"

"… I d-didn't know I did, until now…" responded Saber, averting her eyes, blushing more deeply by the second, "I-I'm so skilled with the sword, but I guess my own feelings are a completely different matter, aren't they?"

"As long as you know now… does it really matter that you didn't realize before? A-as long as we both know now…" Ai trailed off, shifting uncertainly. She knew what she was trying to say, but she wasn't sure how well she was coming across.

"… I-it really is nothing like swordplay," commented Saber, a weak smile on her face as she raised her gaze once more, "But… I…"  
The pale platinum blonde took a deep breath, her fingers digging into the bedsheets once again.

"I-I love you, too, Master!"

Ah… it wasn't as if Saber's words hadn't made it clear how she felt, but hearing her say it directly like that… it was completely different, hearing her directly say 'I love you'. For a few moments, Ai was almost stunned, unable to do or say anything else, her heartbeat hammering faster and faster in her slight chest, her hands trembling. Saber had really said it, all on her own… it was… it was wonderful. It was almost too wonderful. Did she really deserve to hear something like that?

"… B-but… but now that we both know… wh-what do we do now?" she heard Saber ask, the flushed girl shifting awkwardly as she sat on the bed. She seemed to be at a loss, and to be honest it wasn't as if Ai knew what she was doing next, either. Everything had come out in a wave of feelings, rather then anything that had been planned out. Her emotions had just erupted. She had no idea what the next step was, not when it came to this or anything else. But it was like Saber said, wasn't it? She had to keep pushing forward.

"… I… I don't know, Saber," she confessed, "But… that means we can both figure out what to do together, doesn't it?"

It was strange. Even if she was still nervous… had Saber's words really given her a confidence boost? After all this time, had she really become more confident? Ai wasn't sure, but it almost felt like it… knowing that Saber returned her feelings, knowing that her words were true. What ever the case was, she was glad that she could be honest about her feelings.

"… That's true, isn't it?" Saber raised one hand, placing it atop one of Ai's as she did, still quivering slightly. "And it's only… it's just how it should be. We're Master and Servant, a-after all…"

Ai smiled up at the swordswoman. Saber still didn't seem to know what to say, but she was trying so hard… as long as they both knew they loved one another, though… That was what really mattered. There was a few moments where the both of them remained like this, but Ai, looking up into her Servant's beautiful silvery-gold eyes, her soft lips…

Ah, she simply couldn't help it any longer, could she?

The short brunette's body almost moved automatically, leaning up, placing her hands on Saber's arms as she did. Shakily, her heart pounding her chest, she leaned close… Saber didn't seem to understand, for a moment, but then…

Their lips met. Saber… she was so soft, so beautiful… Ai trembled, feeling the warmth of the other girl as she pulled herself closer. It seemed as if Saber was in a moment of shock, but soon enough… she'd raised her hands and placed them on Ai's shoulders, holding the smaller girl as well, feeling the sensation of their lips locking against one another.

It was one of the most wonderful things that Ai had ever felt in her entire life.

A few moments later, both girls fell onto the bed together.

And Ai was able to learn first-hand just how soft and smooth Saber's body really was.


	15. Chapter 15

Saber laid there in silence, for several moments. She was nude, her hair undone and lying loose around her head on the pillow. Ai had fallen asleep again, tired from a lack of sleep the previous night. Her entire body… it was hot, trembling, she had barely recovered by this point… everything, all of it, had been entirely new to her. Her Master's fingers… her tongue… neither of them had truly known what they were doing, and yet… her Master… She'd… it was nothing that Saber had been prepared for. It certainly was nothing like swordplay. She was terribly embarrassed, but at the same time… at the same time…

This was really love, wasn't it? That feeling inside of her that she'd never expected to experience before… along with a slew of other new experiences. But even if she was completely embarrassed about it, the girl samurai couldn't deny that… she liked it… doing such things with her Master, with Ai… And the way everything had felt… It was so, so very embarrassing to think about it, but at the same time this feeling in her heart, in her whole body… it was nice to simply lay beside Ai, to feel her Master's body pressed against her own.

Of course, she knew Hijikata had taken many lovers. It was part of his reputation, along with his fearsome behavior and ruthless nature. It wasn't as if she had no knowledge whatsoever of such things, it was impossible not to have some kind of idea of it when Hijikata was around. But she had never once felt such a thing herself. She'd never thought about it, never even had an idea of what it would be like. It was a complete mystery to Okita Souji. But now…

Now she'd experienced first-hand. And it was… it was this warmth, this softness, this… everything was so wonderful. Saber didn't truly know how to describe it. But now she was laying almost entangled with a sleeping Ai… even though it was so late in the morning, by this point, she didn't really want to get up. Not only would it disturb her Master, but it was so nice to simply lie there and not have to think about anything else… even if some of the more embarrassing comments her Master had made while they were… intertwined… were sometimes drifting through Saber's mind. Ah… had she really needed to comment on the way her chest was bigger when she wasn't dressed? Or… those… other things… about other… parts of her body…

But…. Overall… Saber couldn't help but smile to herself, even if her cheeks were flushed bright red. Her Master… her Master really looked cute, sleeping like this, too… Was this really okay, when she had a temporary body like this? It had to be, didn't it, when it was all so wonderful… To the girl samurai's embarrassment, there was a part of her that was hoping Ai would wake up and… want to do more…

Slowly, the platinum blonde girl sat up, carefully avoiding displacing her Master, the sheets falling down to expose her chest. Thinking about the things they had done was making her feel… so… warm again, her heartbeat quickening. Ah, but she didn't want to awaken her Master, in spite of the growing heat… so… she-

Before Saber could think any more on that particular matter, the door suddenly opened.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" it was Marianne, "You've-"

The maid paused for several moments, her eyes falling upon both nude girls in bed. With a yelp, before she could think, Saber grasped at the sheets and pulled them up to cover herself.

Marianne's lips parted in a catlike smile.

"Mm…?" came Ai's voice, "Saber…"

The diminutive brunette froze when she caught sight of her maid, trying to swiftly vanish beneath the blankets.

"Oh, my my, did I interrupt something? Fufu~" Marianne giggling, placing her right hand near her mouth as she stepped into the room, "You know, I was wondering what was going on~ When Saber-chan disappeared into ojou-sama's room and hadn't come out after so long… But I guess this answers my question~"

"I-I-I…" Saber stammered for a few moments. The last thing she had expected was for someone to walk in on them! Ah, and what she'd been thinking about… she… It was so embarrassing that Saber simply didn't have any words. She couldn't manage even a simple response to the maid, it was just too embarrassing!

"I was wondering how long it would take, to be honest. After all, the feelings were obvious, fufufu~" Marianne said, spreading her arms wide. Ai weakly peaked out from under the blankets, trying to hide everything below her eyes.

"I-it was o-obvious?" the swordswoman asked, quaking as she pulled the blankets up higher. Saber really couldn't handle being seen like this… Especially by Marianne. The maid already seemed to take every opportunity to tease her, and this gave her even more ammunition… And she had no idea how obvious it was, either. Well… maybe she had missed the signs from her Master, but she hadn't even realized the way she felt about Ai was really love, either…

"Well, ojou-sama was pretty blatant about it," explained Marianne, gesturing idly with one hand as she spoke, "And you kept following her around like a lovesick puppy~ Even if you're a Servant, it seemed pretty obvious there was something else going on. It was pretty cute to watch~"

Ah… had she really?! She'd been following Ai in order to ensure she was safe, to protect her from harm and to fulfill her duty. Had it really made it obvious that she was in love? She hadn't even known it herself, at the time, and yet Marianne had figured it out!? Was there more people who had known about her feelings, even when she had no idea?! Had Lancer somehow figured it out? Tsubaki? When they patched things up with their allies, were they going to point out how they totally knew that Ai and Saber were in love with one another?! At this point it was seeming like that was exactly what would happen!

"It's a good thing Charlotte-chan didn't walk in on you, really," continued Marianne, "I don't think she would have been able to handle it~ She's delicate, she might have even fainted~ And to think, if it had been Alys-chan…"

Aaaah… Saber wasn't sure what would have been worse. A maid taunting them upon entering, or a maid fainting. Both were incredibly embarrassing, albeit in completely different ways. At least with the latter, she might not have remembered anything that she saw after having fainted? In this case, though, she was completely certain that Marianne wouldn't let this go. She would have liked a somewhat less abrupt and awkward revelation of the relationship she now had with her Master, rather than having the mischievous maid make her way in so suddenly and proceed to cheerfully tease the both of them relentlessly.

So maybe Charlotte really would have been better. Alys, on the other hand… well, Saber couldn't even imagine it, but she was glad it hadn't occurred.

"But… Ojou-sama, I'm happy that you're feeling better," said Marianne, her tone suddenly more serious, "Not simply after whatever it was that happened yesterday… but all of this… well, I'm certain Saber-chan will make you an incredibly happy girl."

Ah… yes, she… she had to. There was no way Saber could do anything other then do her best to make sure her Master was happy. Ai wasn't only her Master, after all, but she was also the one that Saber loved.

Marianne winked, smiling.

"It looks like she already has, after all~" she added, her tone regaining its playful nature.

Saber buried her face in her hands with embarrassment. But, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her Master's smile, under the blankets even as she kept trying to conceal herself from her maid. Ah… she'd given the short brunette that smile, hadn't she? The girl samurai couldn't help but give her own small smile, as well. No matter how embarrassed she was, it was still… it was still something wonderful, and no amount of teasing from Marianne would be capable of distract her from that fact.

"I'll give you two a little more time," continued Marianne, brightly, "But don't forget about breakfast~"

With that, the maid left the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Both girls were left alone with one another, once more.

"… Uwaaah, Marianne-san is always so embarrassing," lamented Ai, even as she emerged partially from the blankets, "I wasn't ready for her at all…"

"She s-says a lot of strange things, but… but she seemed glad too, um…" Saber trailed off. As much as she was very flustered over the maid's sudden intrusion… it did make her happy, too, that Marianne was pleased to see them together. The swordswoman wasn't really sure what she was doing, even now, but at the same time it certainly made her happy to know that Marianne approved. Was it like seeking approval from parental figures, or something like that? Saber didn't know for sure. But at the very least she knew that it was a good thing.

Ai nodded, quietly, still smiling slightly.

"… Yes… eh-heheh, I really have a girlfriend now… and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen…" the short magus commented, seeming rather giddy. Ah… to think, her Master really did think she was that beautiful… It was still so strange, being praised like this for anything other then her skills as a samurai. Saber blushed more deeply, but even now she couldn't forget what she was here for, nor what she had spoken about the previous night. The euphoria of newfound love wasn't going to drift to the back of her mind any time soon, but at the same time she had consider other matters.

Those, however, could wait until after breakfast.

For some time, it was difficult to actually get out of bed. Being close to one another… both girls were having a hard time resisting the desire to simply lay in each other's arms. But eventually, Saber had forced herself to get up, and the both of them had taken a shower and gotten ready to come downstairs.

Breakfast was wonderful, this time another case of Marianne experimenting with a western dish. It was French toast, a meal that Saber had absolutely no experience with. However, she was absolutely happy to have the chance to try it. Sweet, but also the flavor of eggs, somewhat the bread suffused with these flavors… butter, powdered sugar, and imported maple syrup. It was vastly different then any breakfast that Saber had in life, and it was also incredibly delicious. It was accompanied by crispy bacon, as well…

Saber and Ai ate together, sitting closely beside one another. Was this what love was, when sitting next to someone felt so nice? But that wasn't all that was on Saber's mind…

Lancer, Tsubaki… they had to go and talk to them again. Even if there was that warm feeling inside her, it was a simple fact that they had to try and reconcile with their allies. It might be somewhat painful for Ai, but her Master understood as well. Tsubaki wasn't to blame for what had happened in the previous war, and it wasn't simply guilt that had motivated the tanned girl to befriend her, either. So wasn't it important to talk to her again, to make sure that everything would work out, to make sure that they could still be allies? To make sure that Tsubaki was still Ai's friend? That was important, too, though…

Saber wasn't sure how to bring it up. She felt so happy right now, and it was clear that Ai felt the same way, so she didn't want to ruin the mood, or anything like that. She didn't want to make her Master think of anything that could make her feel less warm and cheerful.

Perhaps this was why she was surprised when Ai brought it up herself.

"… Saber… n-no, Souji… Souji-chan!" she declared, suddenly, "We should go out later and… we need to talk to Inoue-san. I… everything went so wrong the other day, you know… I didn't know how to handle it, learning about all that… but… but what you said earlier…"

Souji-chan? It wasn't enough to distract from the main point of the conversation, but a mixture of feelings suddenly went rushing through Saber's heart as she heard herself referred to in such a manner. It made everything sink in for her even more thoroughly then it already had. But at the same time, there was something incredibly important to be discussed now. There was only one enemy left, before Saber and Lancer would have to face one another. At least, that was how it looked. It didn't appear to the girl samurai that Atlas had summoned their eighth Servant, though she couldn't be entirely certain, either, given they hadn't seen Rani for days. In the end, this meant reforging their alliance with Tsubaki and Lancer would be more symbolic than anything, but that was important as well. After all, Tsubaki was the first person that Ai had spoken to outside of her maids, after coming to live in Minami City. In spite of the deeds of her father, Tsubaki had wanted to be Ai's friend. Even considering the war they were participating in.

And, of course, Saber did desire to have that final duel with Lancer. To end the war on good terms with a worthy opponent whom she did see as a friend, even if they hadn't been as close as either of their Masters were.

But Ai's feelings were far more important.

"I'll be here for you, Master," Saber asserted, smiling with a nod, "Inoue-san never wanted to hurt you. I'm certain that she didn't."

Ai nodded, slowly. Saber knew that this had to be difficult for her. While she couldn't say that she had experienced the deaths of her parents in life, it wasn't dissimilar to something that had occurred between people whom she was very close to. It was difficult to attempt to give advice based on that situation, but that didn't mean that she couldn't try and help, nor that she had no idea how it might feel. She had to do everything she could for her Master.

"I… I know," the short brunette responded, taking a deep breath as she did. "I know she didn't want to hurt me, and I know it wasn't her fault. But the thought of her father being the one to kill my parents… he… he's the one who…"

Saber heard her Master's voice crack, and stepped forward to place her hand on the small girl's shoulder.

"There's no changing that," the silvery-haired swordswoman said, "But Tsubaki wants to be your friend, to be more then what her family's past has given her."

"I know…" replied Ai, taking another deep breath as she tried to stop herself from tearing up once more, "It's difficult… but… but I know. I want to talk to her, I know it wasn't her fault… s-so I need you by my side, Souji-chan."

Being spoken to like that again… but Saber nodded, firmly, smiling at her Master. However, she hesitated slightly before trying to reply. Ah… should she…

She paused for a moment. Then…

"Of… of course, Ai-chan."

Ai's gold eyes widened. Saber could guess she was feeling the same way that she had when being referred to as 'Souji-chan'.

"Ah… Matsushita? Saber?" came Alys's voice, suddenly. The more serious mood was broken in that instant, as both girls turned to face the little girl.

She must have come in suddenly… At least she looked a lot brighter now then she had before, a sign that she was indeed recovering from Berserker's death. It was a relief to know that was the case. The little girl deserved to be happy. As far as Saber recalled, her maids would be arriving at the mansion soon, too…

"Um… Can you tell um… can you tell your maid thank you for the food, it was really good…" she trailed off for a moment, shifting awkwardly. "Um, I didn't get a chance s-so… if you could tell her…"

She mumbled to herself after a few moments. Ai shook her head, trying to compose herself before speaking.

"Of course, Alys-chan," said the short magus, "I'll make sure Marianne-san knows how much you appreciated it, okay?"

The pale little girl's lips curled into a smile, and she nodded before quickly leaving the room. Ah, it was good to see her happy… but there were important matters to attend to. Of course, they would have to find Tsubaki and Lancer before they could try and talk things over, but Saber suspected that the other two girls would likely be looking for Ai and herself as well. After all, with how things had gone when they parted the previous night…

"Do you want to get going, soon, Ma-Ai-chan?" Saber cut herself off at the end. It was going to take a little getting used to, but… if they were going to be together, even if her body was a temporary one… Saber certainly wanted to refer to her Master with just as much love as Ai herself referred to her. She simply couldn't do anything else.

Ai nodded.

"I… I don't want to put it off any longer," she replied, "If I do, I could start thinking about everything again… I don't want to overthink it, I don't want to do anything foolish… I… I want to talk to Inoue-san honestly and openly. That's all."

That's exactly what Saber had hoped to hear. Rising to her feet, she offered her hand to the smaller girl and helped her up, as well.

She wasn't sure how things would go, but she was going to do everything she could in order to be there for her Master. She had to. That was what was most important, right now.

After such a stormy, rainy night, the day was rather bright out. The sun was high in a cloudless sky, light reflecting off of puddles left on the sidewalk. It was an incredibly pleasant day, the temperature neither too warm nor too cool for the time of the year. It was just right.

Which was excellent, even the weather seemed to be working to help keep her Master's spirits up! … That was a bit of a silly way of looking at it, admittedly, but it sort of felt that way to Saber. Besides… Ai deserved it. She absolutely deserved her happiness, didn't she? That was just how things were, at least in Saber's mind. Why wouldn't she wish for the happiness of the girl she loved? … Of course, even that thought, for someone who had never loved anyone in life, still felt somewhat surreal. She hadn't expected to fall in love with her Master, she hadn't known it was even possible… but she was glad that it was.

For now, though… the most important thing was ensuring that Master got a chance to speak with Tsubaki. It was bright and sunny out, so the risk of being attacked was very low. On top of that, she still doubted that Tsubaki and Lancer would be rushing to attack them after what had occurred(though that would make it easier to find them, admittedly) meaning that Archer was their only remaining opponent. The gunslinger from the Age of Outlaws was a fan of ambush tactics, but that didn't mean he would think attempting them in broad daylight was a good idea. Both his Master and himself were far too cautious for that.

Which meant that there was not much to fear in terms of being attacked during the day. Not even when it came to simply moving through populated areas, even more isolated locations likely would be safe simply due to the risk of discovery. The secrecy of the Holy Grail War was paramount, after all. Though… even in a euphoric state like this, Saber couldn't help but wonder about the eighth Servant. By this point, she wasn't sure they had managed to even summon one. She didn't think such a thing was possible, but then again she didn't know much of anything about magecraft. While the girl samurai knew the limit was seven Servants, she didn't know if there was any way to circumvent it. If she had to guess, perhaps the idea was to try and summon a Caster, as Caster was the first Servant to be slain? She had learned marginally more about magecraft as a result of spending time around Ai, but hardly enough to consider her any kind of expert. Still, Saber felt reasonably sure that summoning another Servant shouldn't be possible.

And regardless, the fact was that even if that eighth Servant had been summoned, Rani had stated her intention not to be an enemy. That was strange for Saber, but… she had never felt at any point that the Atlas agent had been lying.

But even if she had been some master of deception, and has also managed to somehow summon another Servant, the fact was that attacking in broad daylight was foolish to an extreme. Even Rider's initial, reckless attack near the opening of the war had been fairly late in the day, and that had still been so blatant it would have easily been discovered if her Master hadn't called her out of it.

Rider's Master…

Saber's silvery-gold eyes narrowed at the thought of that man. What had been his motivation for revealing the fate of Ai's parents? Of course, it was best to know the truth, but if it had come out in a less painful way… well, there was no way of knowing how it may have occurred if the situation had been a different one. But the fact was that it was blatantly obvious that Hirata Genjiro hadn't simply desired to make Ai aware of the truth. But Rider was dead, what did he gain from revealing that information now? He no longer had the means to obtain the Holy Grail, with his Servant having been defeated. Was it out of spite? He hadn't looked particularly angry, however. Hirata Genjiro had seemed quite calm and composed, even at the loss of his chance to claim victory in the Holy Grail War. It didn't make any sense to Saber, no matter how she tried to look at it. What could he have been thinking?

Well, it didn't matter now, in any case. He could no longer participate in the Holy Grail War. No matter how strange and concerning his actions may have been, Saber was certain of that, at the very least. For now, it was time to focus on meeting up with Tsubaki and Lancer again.

It would have been nice to appreciate a walk with the girl she loved… it was like something out of a story! If only there had been cherry blossoms… or… she paused for a moment. Lilies? Since they were both girls, wasn't that the right flower… blushing to herself, Saber shook her head. As nice as walking with Ai was, they did have a purpose here.

It wasn't as if either girl was unaware of the obstacle that was locating Tsubaki herself. They still hadn't met with her at her home. But both of them also suspected that the tanned magus likely wouldn't simply be hanging around her home, as well.

"If I know anything about Inoue-san…" Ai said, "… Which… which I think I know a little, at least… I think she'd probably still be trying to search for clues about Yumimura-san."

Saber nodded. This seemed like the likely case to her, as well. Not only was it something important, but Tsubaki seemed like the type to try and occupy her mind with something else when she was upset. Which made the search for Yumimura Saori a likely option, didn't it? Ai intended to use her familiars again, to have them spread out across town and search for any potential sign of the other girl. It made perfect sense to Saber. Thus far, the familiars had proven themselves adept at locating a great variety of things, from Caster's sigils to other people, which made them an ideal choice in this situation.

They'd find Tsubaki and Lancer in no time.

Right?

* * *

The orb of black mud pulsed. Within it, seething red light shimmered and twisted, an indistinct symbol of what was occurring within its darkness. It had gone perfectly. The strongest remaining Servant in the war was taken out with her entrance… How could Avenger be anything but satisfied? Of course, that wasn't the end of it. Far from it. Lancer was in the heart of the ball of dark mud… Lancer was unable to escape, but even if she had the opportunity… would she even desire to, any longer?

Perhaps not. There was no way for Pandora to view the thoughts of others, but she suspected…

Well, it wouldn't be much longer until the result of her handiwork was revealed. For now, the black orb drifting along behind her, there were other matters which Avenger intended to attend to. By herself, she was powerful. Of course, that was the only thing that she could ever be thankful for. The deception of the gods had given her power. It was a cursed and evil power, but it was what she had been given.

It was the only tool she had to take her revenge. And so it was something she felt, in a way, thankful for.

The thought brought a crooked smile to the Servant's face.

It was all so close, now, as well…

At the moment, Avenger had chosen to make her way into the nearby forest. Harazuki, was it called? The orb of blackened mud drifted behind her as she floated between the trees. Her true Master… she was somewhere safe. The remnants of the Atlas facility and proven to a safe location, indeed. The fear that had been in her eyes… And yet, she was an artifice, a creation by others, just as Avenger herself had been. It was strange, in a way. Her Master was a human, and yet not. It was as if the Holy Grail itself had a sense of humor.

It wasn't a very good one, if so. At least as far as Avenger was concerned.

The girl was not to be harmed, however. An artifice manipulated by humans, just as she was one manipulated by the gods… Rani was now in a safe location. Even as the world burned around her, that was where she would remain. It was not simply a show of sympathy, however. Avenger would not allow her master to become an easy target, nor would she allow for her to attempt to end her own life or use her command seals. No matter how Pandora felt about Rani IV, she was well aware that those who created her would have likely desired for her to end such a terrible threat in what ever way she was able, even if it meant killing herself.

That was something Avenger could not allow.

After all, this was the only chance she had been given.

She would take her revenge with darkness and fire.

But she would begin by taking other steps. There were other moves that were necessary, she felt, to achieve the vengeance she sought. That began with claiming Lancer. The strongest remaining Servant… Rider would have been ideal, as well, but she had perished before Avenger could make her first move, rendering it impossible to obtain the Queen of Connacht. Additionally, while she was quite powerful in her own right… there was no way to deny that Medb would have been a far more difficult acquisition to make.

Besides, she had relished in seeing Lancer's expression when she had realized her fate. It was far from disappointing. A follower of god having been abandoned by the power that she once believed in… of course, it was not by her deity's will, but by Avenger's capabilities as a Servant, but that mattered little. What mattered was the result.

Hirata Genjiro had done well to divide the alliance between Saber and Lancer, as well. It had made the knight far easier prey. He was an uncommon man, someone who desired fire for this world just as she did. But, in the end, she knew it was for a reason that differed from her own.

Perhaps he was far more twisted then even herself.

But regardless of his nature, he had already proven himself valuable. When she achieved her revenge, she'd let him burn quickly.

Or maybe not. Whatever his fate was, it would be far less important then what she would do against the gods themselves.

But that would begin… here.

It was the very core of the territory that had once belonged to Caster. Avenger could immediately understand why the first Servant to die had selected this place, for it had been one of the locations in which the Holy Grail could descend. However, by this point, with most of the Servants dead, it would normally have become clear if this was the location the grail had selected. Now, it obviously was not. Perhaps it had been Caster's plan to force the grail to descend in this location, thereby having it appear in the middle of her territory even if all the other Servants were not yet defeated. Pandora did not know, and by this point, she did not truly care.

What she did know, however, was that this location was the home of a high concentration of leylines. That was why it was one of the potential places that the Grail could manifest, after all. That made it ideal for the beginning of the end.

The shades of this land would serve her well. It was nothing like summoning Servants. Pandora's Box wasn't capable of that much, and certainly Avenger herself was not as well. They would only possess a measure of the mind and power of the figures she was invoking. Compared to a Servant, they were trifling shades that would not amount to a serious opponent alone.

But… six of them… when there were only two enemy Servants remaining…

There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that would prevent her from taking her revenge.

This location, too… while she had no way of knowing exactly what had occurred there, there was a pain etched into the land itself. There once stood some sort of building here, out in the middle of the forest, but now all that remained was a long-burned frame. There was the barest outline of the structure remaining, charred wood and scorched stone slowly being reclaimed by time. It must have been at least ten years ago… the previous Holy Grail War… This all made it an excellent place to call her shades. They would be those with some connection to this nation, be it by their own history…

Or perhaps due to being summoned in the previous battle. Indeed, she could even reach out to those who were part of the previous Holy Grail War, for their spirits had become connected to this land as well. She could wield any one of them as her weapons through the power of Pandora's Box. There was no way of calling to a specific spirit, for she did not know who would be captured by her Box. Rather, she would ensnare whatever phantom answered her call… Certainly, this was one of the many reasons she was not capable of summoning a true Heroic Spirit, but a shade of one.

Still…

"Ah… accursed box, the source of all my misery…" Avenger began, raising her hand towards the sky. Pandora's Box swiftly materialized beside her, floating into the air above her. It drifted higher, taking its place in the very center of the ruin… in this moment, it could be called something of a facsimile, a fake Holy Grail taking the position of the thing that this war was being waged for. That was simply what was required to draw those shades to her side. "Will you open for me, once again?"

Slowly, the box began to open. Ah… yes… if not for the fact that opening the box fully would consume such vast amounts of mana that not even Pandora herself would be able to sustain herself for very long, she would simply leave it fully open and allow it to consume the entire world.

Even now, she was certain that if she had left it open, it would devour the entire city… but it would be at the cost of her Master's life, and her own. She could not die before her revenge was complete, and this city simply wasn't enough. No, the death of everyone in this city would never be enough. The gods that wronged her represented this whole world, and as a result it was this whole world that she would consume in darkness.

The box opened, slowly. Rather than swinging open, the patterns on its surface seemed to suddenly twist and converge into a single point, near the center of the box. They twisted inwards, and then spread into a circular, dark purple symbol on the side. It glowed, faintly, resembling something like an eye. Before, she had simply opened a corner, but for the purposes of this ritual she would open the box fully, albeit briefly. That was all that Avenger could sustain, after all.

Her crooked grin once again began to slowly appear on her face.

And then it came. The seething black mud, the foul substance that embodied All the Evils of the World, came pouring from the eye-like pattern as if it was tears. Even in a single instant, the amount that spewed from the box was enormous, a great torrent of black mud that swiftly spread through the ruins. It pooled up to Avenger's ankles, but there was no harm it could do to her any longer, not when she had already experienced this in life first-hand.

That grin grew. Yes… This would be enough.

"Silver and iron to the origin…"

It was a trick, in the end. A ruse used to lure the unsuspecting. They would first have to believe there was a Master to call them, of course, before even a small scrap of them could be captured in darkness. Perhaps the most black-hearted Servants would have answered of their own accord, but there was no reason for Avenger to count on that possibility.

Below her Box, at the center of the stream of mud that had been unleashed, a great circle of magical energy began to form, patterns etching themselves across the huge pool of darkness that had now formed to cover the burned ruins of the mansion.

It was working just as she had expected. While the mud would consume massive amounts of mana if left to pour uninhibited, the box itself could easily sustain not only a Servant, but her six shades as well. No matter how vile a thing it was, it was also a divine construct that produced its own enormous source of energy.

She could feel it. There was a sensation of pulling, as if she was tugging on something. Ripples began to run through the surface of the mud, across the summoning circle that had formed over it. Yes… there were already six Servants that had been drawn here, fooled into believing that this was a proper summoning, by a proper Master. Even if it would not capture them fully, just a small fragment of their mind, their origin as a heroic spirit, would be enough to create a shade…

The air suddenly went completely still around her.

The light from the circle flared brilliantly.

What occurred next was nothing like the proper summoning of a Servant. In more normal circumstances, it was a much more graceful affair, the summoned Heroic Spirit's body materializing from mana and allowing them to interact with the world. But instead, what occurred now was a violation of that ritual.

All across the circle, arms suddenly erupted from the black mud. Slowly, unsteadily, as if struggling against some great weight, figures began to pull themselves from the seething blackness, clawing their way into the light as they were summoned.

Yes… this was just as Pandora had desired.

The shades she had summoned were all drawn from Japan's history, as she had expected. She knew not their names, and unless they had enough of a mind to tell her it would remain that way, but it hardly mattered. In most cases they would lack a true Noble Phantasm anyway, being partially incarnated existences rather than an entire Servant.

A trait each one of the shades shared was something of a shadowy aura around them, darkening their appearance as if they were cloaked in the night itself. Most of them also possessed dull yellow eyes, their hair also having been bleached white. It was much like her own appearance, in that regard.

In regards to the individual Servants she had summoned, the first of their number had been the one who had been the least entrapped in her snare. It was the Caster-class Servant, a beautiful woman with vulpine ears and fine clothing. A kitsune of some nature, Avenger was certain, but a Servant that had quite swiftly realized the reality of the situation and disallowed herself to be entirely summoned. Shadow Caster would lack any real mind of her own, as a result, but she would still possess a measure of the true Servant's personality and nature, and of her capabilities as a Caster. The latter was what Avenger required.

After Caster, Saber had come. He was an older man, clad in a kimono and hakama with the blade of a samurai at his side. Much like Caster, he seemed to have realized that there was something wrong quite swiftly and rejected the summoning process, but as long as Avenger obtained his skill as a swordsman that fact was less than relevant. Even in this near-mindless state, the way the man held himself seemed to indicate he was indeed incredibly skilled, even to one such as Avenger who did not possess much knowledge of swordplay. His entire body seemed like it could spring into action in an instant.

The third was Archer, it seemed. A girl, this one with long, flowing hair and horns atop her head, clad in the armor of a samurai. Perhaps one of the oni kind, at least in some measure? It was quite an excellent summon, as even without the full personality of the heroic spirit the girl would possess the raging nature of an oni, a violent combatant with little knowledge of the word 'surrender'. It was difficult to be dissatisfied with such a shade.

The one who had appeared afterwards was Rider, a samurai in full armor, helmet obscuring their features. They sat astride a massive horse, also darkened by the manner of their summoning, that snorted and pawed at the dark earth. They seemed to wield both a sword and a spear, two of the traditional weapons associated with such warriors. Even if she had known the identity of the Servant, in that armor it was impossible to determine even their sex. But those details were irrelevant, all that Avenger cared for was the Servant's capabilities as a fighter.

After the summoning of the Shadow Rider came Assassin. He almost hadn't seemed to care if it was a fake summoning, it seemed. His appearance was unusual, a wide-brimmed straw hat, fiery red hair(unlike the bleached white of the others) and red eyes, a face cloaked entirely in darkness… How curious. His presence, his manner of bearing, it all seemed to result in something that was entirely geared towards slaughtering humans. Not on the level of herself, perhaps, and certainly not the blackened thing that existed as All the Evils of the World, but unnaturally high for something that originated as a spirit of the Human Order. Not as a serial killer, or as someone who killed as their business, but as someone who had forged himself into a manslayer by thinking himself nothing but one.

And finally… there was Berserker. The nature of the shade she had called as Berserker was a curious one. Had he not cared about the fact that it was a trap? She had incarnated almost the entire spirit with the summoning of Berserker. It wasn't something she had expected. Even the least capable Heroic Spirit would be able to detect the corruption that they were being called into, could they not? So why had he simply ignored it? Short of the ability to use his Noble Phantasms, this was almost a complete Servant… Had he even rejected the summon at all? It was a man, clad in a cloak with more western clothing, with a rifle and a katana at his side. He had a deeply serious look about him, and… similarly to Assassin… his hair remained black, his eyes only showing a hint of yellow now. Not only had he been summoned almost in his entirety, but he had barely been corrupted… it was as if he wanted to be here, no matter what the nature of his summoning was.

Truly, he was someone well-equipped for the class of Berserker. An obsession that made him ignore even the blackness of Pandora's box in order to be summoned… not even the slaughtering Assassin had disregarded the corruption inherent with this manner of summoning.

She had summoned an utterly twisted Servant into the class of Berserker, and that suited her purposes perfectly. There was no denying that.

That crooked grin returned to Pandora's lips, and she couldn't resist licking her lips with excitement as she gazed over the Servants she had summoned. Indeed, even those whom she had just barely captured with her fake grail would still be a threat to the remaining two Servants that had been summoned by the true Grail. Those who had the least of their true personality and nature simply knelt, like the near-mindless Servants they were, while Assassin and Berserker seemed to look about their surroundings for a few moments.

"So, manslayer summoned into place that kills men? Heh, that's kinda perfect for me, right?" commented Assassin, glancing towards his new Master, "I'll slaughter anyone you wish me to, that's the word of the greatest swordsman."

He seemed both confident and willing to kill absolutely anyone whom she asked, which made him perfect. There was no way of knowing how much of that was the corruption, or how much of it was the Servant's original personality, but that mattered little. All she needed was someone willing to kill for her. Be that through total subservience, a limited mind that can only contemplate working in her service, or their own free will, it mattered little. As long as the remaining Servants were no longer even a remotely possible threat, that was all that Avenger would require. It had already become perfect.

But it was the words of Berserker that proved themselves to be far more intriguing.

"As long as I am here… as long as I am here… the Shinsengumi won't end! You've summoned the Shinsengumi to your side, I won't fail you!" he cried, "My class, this place, nothing matters! For I am the Shinsengumi!"

It was difficult to tell if these words were due to his class of Berserker, or the black mud warping his mind even further than Mad Enhancement could. Without intimate knowledge of who he was in life, it was impossible to know which possibility was the truth. But regardless of the reason, a mad warrior convinced that the days of his glory were still present would fight with ferocity fueled by those delusions.

It was perfect.

"You are all here to ensure victory in this Holy Grail War," Pandora said, spreading her arms wide. The black mud had ceased to flow from her box, which shut itself and drifted downwards, to her side. "That is the entire purpose for your existence here. Pillage and slay as you like, I care not for anything but victory."

There was little in the way of response. Most of the Shadow Servants were nearly mindless, after all. There wasn't much they were capable of saying. But there was an affirmation there, that they would heed her words. Both Shadow Assassin and Shadow Berserker bowed their heads in asset, as well. Even if they had most of their minds and egos intact, the fact was that they were bound to her will. Besides, it didn't seem as if they would have rejected it anyway. They were both twisted individuals who would embrace even a warped summoning of this nature in order to exist as Servants.

"And now…"

The black mud cocoon that had formed around Lancer was beginning to crack. Hairline fractures were appearing across its hardened surface, spreading through every inch of the perfect sphere of darkness. The Servant within would soon be free… It was just as she had hoped for. Thus far, everything had gone perfectly according to her plans, with absolutely no deviation. Indeed, the time that the Servant had spent within the sphere of All the Evils of the world would undeniably be enough to achieve the goal she wished for.

Her handiwork would soon reveal herself.

Avenger smiled that crooked smile.

* * *

Ai's heart was a swirling vortex of conflicting emotions. On one hand, there was happiness, that she had finally confessed her feelings, that it had gone well, that she had… that she had experienced such love with the girl she had fallen for. That she could walk beside her under the sun. But on the other hand… Inoue Tsubaki. After what had happened, knowing what Tsubaki's father had done, would it really be possible for her to talk to the other girl normally again? Souji thought so… Ai still wished she could be as positive and optimistic as the girl samurai. But at the same time, this was just what she wanted. She wanted to try and talk things over with the tanned magus. She knew that it wasn't Tsubaki's fault. And… deep down, she knew that Tsubaki really had cared for her as a friend, and that it wasn't only because of what her father did. But she didn't know how to speak to her. She didn't know what words she could say. But with Souji by her side, maybe everything would work out. There was a little part of her that thought that something like that really could be the case, that things just might have a chance of working out. It was just a small hint of optimism, but maybe being close to Souji would make it grow. At least, that's what she could hope for, if nothing else.

And sometimes hope was the path to making something real.

For the moment, though, Ai had to admit that it didn't seem like they'd picked the most efficient method for locating Tsubaki and Lancer. While her cat familiars were excellent for finding people, objects, and just about anything else someone might need to search for, they hadn't picked up on any sign of her yet. Was it because she was at home? Ai suddenly felt foolish. Tsubaki was a magus as well, and there hadn't exactly been any reason to remove any defenses she might have had in place around her residence. There could be bounded fields, magecraft that could distort the senses of familiars, or any number of other things in place that could prevent her familiars from readily locating the Inoue residence.

The short brunette had initially believed there was a chance that Tsubaki would immediately be out searching for new clues about Yumimura Saori, even in spite of what had occurred the previous night, but perhaps she was mistaken…

By this point the day had worn on and they simply hadn't located Tsubaki at all. Admittedly, Ai did in fact have a cell phone, but… well, Tsubaki had never brought up her own. Magi weren't exactly known for their affinity with technology, after all, and Ai herself only had one due to her lifestyle prior to coming to Minami. So that didn't exactly help when it came to locating the other magus, either. And even if it had… would she have answered a call?

… That and Ai had barely ever used her cellphone to call anyone. Most of her time with it had been spent playing a variety of phone games. There was a part of her that wondered if she was even prepared to actually talk on a cellphone, given she could not remember a single instance in which she had done so. Perhaps it was for the best that there was no current way to contact Tsubaki via phone, as now Ai was worried she wouldn't be able to get any words out if she did so. But on the other hand, it made locating the other girl very difficult at the moment…

"It's been a while," Ai began with a frown, "I guess It might be, um, too much to expect but… if she was out, I feel like we should have found her by now…"

She trailed off.

"Ma-Ai-chan, just because we haven't found out where she is yet, doesn't mean we won't," responded Souji, giving the other girl a confident smile… just seeing her smile was a little reassuring, for the short brunette. That and the fact that she was being called 'Ai-chan' now by Souji was pretty wonderful… even now she couldn't deny that, no matter what the situation was. "I'm certain that the both of them are just fine. Lancer is pretty strong, after all, and Archer's Master is so cautious I doubt he's made another move already anyway!"

That was something to take some level of solace in, at least. It was unlikely that Lancer would have fallen, given the remaining enemy Servant and his habits. Theomanius was hardly about to go charging in anyway, and fighting Lancer directly seemed like a battle Archer was unlikely to win without sufficient preparation, so Ai doubted that another fight could have taken place after they parted…

Still, it was difficult to dispel all her worries, even if she had managed to shift them to the back of her mind now.

"You're right, Souji-chan…" Ai replied, nodding, "It's hard not to worry, but it wouldn't make sense from the perspective of Archer's Master, too…"

Her Saber-class Servant nodded.

"That being said… if it's this hard for your familiars to find Inoue-san, maybe she's not out of the streets…" she replied, frowning slightly, "And we don't know where her house is… This has gotten pretty complicated now, hasn't it?"

It was already pretty complicated, to be honest. Talking to Tsubaki alone was going to be difficult, let alone finding her again… but she wanted to. She had to figure out what to say, in the end. That was the hardest part.

Unfortunately, it was getting later and later. While Archer wasn't likely to attack without a plan, there was no discounting the possibility of Theomanius having concocted one. Once it got late enough, all bets were off when it came to ensuring that they were not attacked. It was something they had to be aware of… but… they had to speak with Tsubaki and Lancer, as well. No matter how late it got, there was no way that Ai was going to give up.

At this point, they had made their way to the park. Perhaps Tsubaki had gone there, and her familiars had just missed it? It was something she could hope for, at least. This late at night, there was almost no-one there… technically they weren't supposed to be there either, but it had been surprisingly easy to get in… It was funny, largely, in spite of being someone beyond the scope of normal society, Ai had never really contemplated doing such things before. But once she had, it was so easy… They'd gotten into the park with no issue whatsoever.

Then again, there was nothing particularly in need of protection in a park at night. Nothing to be stolen, nothing that could really be defaced… perhaps that was why it had been so easy? Ai had not needed to use any sort of magecraft in order to enter the premises. Neither had Souji needed to do anything to break in. All they'd really had to do was walk right into the park and it had been as easy as that.

It was dark, but not particularly difficult to navigate the park itself at all.

But then…

"… Master, there's something wrong."

Souji hadn't hesitated for even an instant. There was a flurry of pink light, like cherry blossom petals, and the Servant was clad in her kimono, scarf fluttering in the light breeze. Her katana gleamed in the moonlight, like a sliver of silver in the darkness. Something was wrong? For a moment, Ai's heart seemed to freeze.

"So-Saber, what is it? I-is it Archer?" she asked. But the silvery-haired girl shook her head, firmly.

"No, this isn't… there's something terribly wrong with this presence," Saber responded, her silver-gold eyes glancing around the park. While there didn't appear to be anything visible, there was enough foliage to be able to conceal anyone who might have been intending to spring an ambush. "It's… dark, there's something terrible about the presence of this Servant. There's no way this can be Archer."

What did that mean…? Was it the eighth Servant? Was that possible, these were the immediate concerns on her mind. But soon enough her fears were answered by the sight of an arrow hissing through the air. It ignited the night, fire surging around it as it hurtled right towards both Master and Servant!

Saber reacted in the blink of an eye, stepping in front of Ai in an instant, her sword cutting through the night air! The edge of the blade met the head of the arrow, splitting through it immediately, dividing the flaming shaft down the middle and sending both fragments of the arrow hurtling off into the night, embedding themselves some distance behind them in the earth.

A flaming arrow?! But Archer used a revolver… there was no question, any longer. This dark presence was a Servant that had been summoned far more recently…!

Before Ai had much time to contemplate that fact, she suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground by her Servant, the air whipping past her as a flurry of flaming arrows narrowly missed the both of them. She could see them tearing off into the night, but whatever Servant was attacking them was only just barely missing. The small brunette could feel the heat of each blazing arrow tearing past her… she choked back any fear she was feeling and did her best to focus. The flaming arrows immediately ruled out their only remaining opponent… or even Lancer… not that she thought the knight was responsible in the first place. It had to be whatever Servant was summoned by Atlas, but… who could it be?!

Was it a second Archer, not a Caster like Ai had suspected?

"Master, there's… there's not one Servant!" Saber cried, darting to the side to avoid another arrow, the flaming head burying itself in the earth where she had been mere moments before. "I can feel the presence of at least two others!"

At least two others?! How was this possible!? There were only three Servants, counting Souji herself, that remained in this Holy Grail War. But now they were being ambushed by not one, but three other enemy Servants?!

Another arrow came hurtling towards them, this one aiming to cut them off, just ahead! Even though she was forced to use one hand, Saber rotated her entire body in order to slice it out of the air, cleaving the head and shaft in half just as swiftly as she had the first. But there was no way of telling how long they would be able to keep this up, especially knowing that there were two other enemy Servants in the area in addition to the mysterious Archer.

How that was possible was difficult to understand, but there was little time to try and figure it out!

"S-Souji, what should we d-do?" Ai stammered, trembling against her Servant's body.

"I'm going to get us out of the park!" she said, "If we get out into the open it will be more difficult for us to be targeted or ambushed!"

It was impossible to relax, but at the same time Ai was at least able to take solace in having a clear plan of escape. Saber was right, if they could get out of the park it would be easier for them to evade… And the exit wasn't far! If they could just reach it, the fight would open up almost immediately, and they'd be able to escape the ambush more effectively! As long as they could escape…!

But moments before the reached the exit, Saber suddenly sprang back, silver-gold eyes widening in shock.

"S-Souji?!" Ai exclaimed. Why was Saber backing away from the exit?! Wasn't that their goal in the first place?! Wasn't that their only way out?! So why would she suddenly be retreating back to where they could be attacked again?

It all made sense as soon as the magus got a better look at the park's exit. There was a faint barrier, visible only in the bright moonlight, and only just barely. But it was there. She couldn't determine what the source of the bounded field was, but… She could determine its function. It was a barrier meant to corral Servants, to prevent them from escaping. Did that mean that a trap had been set in the park to catch anyone who might have gone there?! How had she not realized it before?!

"So… so one of our enemies…" Ai murmured, as Saber set her down and turned to face the park once more. The arrows had stopped flying, but that didn't really make Ai feel any better about the situation.

"There's most likely a Caster-class Servant among their number," Saber responded, with a slow nod. How did something like this happen? Not just one additional Servant, but three. Was it even possible for the Holy Grail to be abused in such a fashion, to cause it to summon so many more Servants!? "Before we can escape… I'll have to kill them."

Even considering her Servant's capabilities… against three enemy Servants at once? Could she do it? Suddenly, cold fear gripped Ai's heart. Not the fear of losing her own life, something that she could never rid herself of but had been able to control to some extent by now. No, it was the terror of the idea of seeing the girl she loved die. If Saber fell here… if Okita Souji died in battle… what could she do? Was there anything she could? Just after sharing their love together… If she were to be killed by this ambush… would Ai even want to go on living?

"Ai!"

Saber's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife, as the girl samurai suddenly grasped her by the shoulder and pulled her back. As she stumbled backwards, she caught sight of an almost explosive impact between two blades. The figure that had struck so suddenly, so violently, it wasn't any Servant she recognized. A man in Japanese clothing, but… distorted. There was a darkness about him, and his wild hair was red like fire… his face was cloaked in darkness, and obscured by a wide-brimmed straw hat. All she could see was a glimpse of eyes that looked like flames. What class… who!? He couldn't be a Saber, could he?! But then… if so many enemy Servants had been summoned... when one of them was an Archer as well…

"Four!?" she heard Saber exclaim. There were… four enemy Servants now?! Ai's golden eyes widened in horror. Why were there four!? Did that mean the attacker was Assassin? Did that mean they… they couldn't win?!

After a moment of blade grinding on blade, Saber was able to force her opponent back. The attacking swordsman sprang backwards out of range, and the pale girl raised her katana parallel to her head once more.

"Wait… this… you're not a Servant, are you?!" Saber demanded, eyes drifting from her opponent, to the trees, and back. "This presence… it's not a Servant. It's close, but you're something else, aren't you!?"

"Does it matter what I am?" asked the strange, shadowy figure, cocking his head to one side as he did before raising his blade. While much of his face was shrouded in darkness, Ai was able to get the impression of a grin from the shadows. "Servant or not, I am the greatest swordsman in the world!"

The greatest swordsman in the world? Not a Servant? Ai didn't understand. He wasn't a Servant, but he was something like one? Her mind raced as Souji faced off with the strange shadowy man. Was he some kind of wraith? Or was he something else entirely? Who was he, to call himself the greatest swordsman in the world?! It was difficult to keep these things in mind, however, when not only was Saber engaged in combat before her but there were other Servants just waiting to attack.

Three of them. Or were they not Servants at all, like Souji had said of the swordsman? This was terrifying and strange, Ai had no idea what she could do. She'd never expected to be caught in a situation like this, not when so many of the enemy Servants had been defeated!

Saber's blade clashed against her enemy's, sparks cast into the night air with each blow. For the moment, it seemed like the girl samurai had an edge, but the fact remained that the shadowy man was still holding his own, and that he had allies.

Souji thrust her sword, jabbing it through a brief gap in her opponent's defenses, but he was swift enough to counter, able to divert the blade and attempt his own strike. But Ai's Servant was still faster, forcing him back… only to be met with a flurry of flaming arrows once more as the shadowy swordsman sprang backwards to give his ally room to attack! But that wasn't all. Another figure emerged from the shadows! This one darted towards Saber, even as she backed up at deflected the arrows. A young woman, with the armor of a samurai, horns protruding from her forehead. White hair, red-gold eyes, shadowy flames seeming to pour off of her body…

A red and black katana flashed in her hands, slamming into Saber's own blade as she attempted to block. The impact was many times stronger than the first swordsman's blade, sending the surprised Souji skidding backwards across the concrete and grass, only catching herself when she had been knocked several meters away!

The newcomer straightened, her left hand now gripping a long, smoldering naginata. And a bow on her back… just what class was she?! Was she the one who had been firing the flaming arrows?! Regardless of if they weren't Servants, or whatever it was they were, just looking at this woman made it clear she was incredibly dangerous. And yet… there was something strange. This emptiness about her, that hadn't seemed to be there when it came to the swordsman…

And there were still the other two Servants… Or whatever it was they were.

Even in spite of facing two known opponents and two unknown ones, Saber quickly slid her feet into a ready stance, drawing her blade parallel to her eyes once more. Ai could feel her entire body shaking. Saber was resolute, ready to fight off any opponents they could encounter, but when the odds were like this, when their enemies numbered so many, so many beings that, if they were not Servants, were something similar… could she fight them? Would she be able to win? The fear rose again, the fear for the girl that she loved. She didn't want to see Souji die. The idea of seeing her die was one of the most awful thoughts ever to find its way into the short brunette's mind.

When the swordsman lunged, Saber responded with a parry and a thrust, sparks flying as she forced him back just as swiftly as he had attacked. But before she could press her assault, the samurai woman's naginata swung down immediately, carving a fiery path through the night air before slamming into the path, cratering the concrete and sending fragments into the air, forcing Saber to retreat. The only solace that Ai could take was that the other two Servants had not chosen to attack as well, though the fact that they hadn't was also somewhat worrying. Were they waiting for something…?

Ai shook her head. Rather then worry, she had to think. She had to try and figure out how she could help them escape. If one of the Servants, or… phantoms, or whatever they were, was Caster, and they were the reason that there was a bounded in place keeping them from leaving, that meant that if they were eliminated, or the spell itself was disrupted, they would be able to escape. While her own magecraft wouldn't be able to counter something like that, if she could locate Caster and disrupt them, then maybe… Maybe they could escape.

The samurai woman drew her bow and took aim, as Saber clashed with the swordsman again. Her silver-gold eyes drifted towards the Archer and she narrowed them, forced once again to give up ground in order to evade the flaming arrows that hissed through the air towards her. This wasn't going well… the sooner that Ai could locate and disrupt Caster, the sooner that they could get out of here! If she could trace the bounded field…

And then…

Another figure erupted from the foliage. He was a tall man, a rifle and two katana at his sides. He was also Japanese, making it consistent that all these… phantoms were thus far from the same country, wearing clothing that looked more western in origin then the garments that the other two shades were clad in. He was making a direct path towards Souji, waving one hand to direct the other two enemies away, to clear a path for him.

The Archer woman did so immediately, but the swordsman hesitated and almost seemed to roll his eyes before stepping away.

But when Saber saw him, her silvery-gold eyes widened. Her sword, still gleaming in the moonlight, lowered, as the man came to a halt, drawing one of his own katana.

Shakily, Saber lowered her katana.

"H… Hijikata…-san…?"


	16. Chapter 16

Hijikata Toshizo.

The vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. A man who had committed many terrible acts in the name of what he believed was just, whose hands were again and again stained in blood. And yet, he was a man, even after all that he had done, that Okita Souji knew as a friend. He was a violent and terrifying person obsessed with his duty as part of the Shinsengumi, and yet he was still someone who the girl samurai called a comrade. Still someone she called a friend. He was someone that she had wanted to fight to the end alongside.

And now he stood before her, as an enemy.

"Okita Souji-san, you stand before me without the Shinsengumi's colors. Neither do I, but I remain the Shinsengumi all the same," he said, raising his katana, "As the Shinsengumi, I must fulfill my duty. I must kill you in the name of the Flag of Fidelity."

He had always been a violent man, but… something seemed wrong. Did he believe himself to be the Shinsengumi? What was he saying? Saber had wanted to see him, to see the other members of the Shinsengumi again, but this… she hadn't wanted it like this! For a few moments, she was immobilized, unable to force herself to react, to move her feet, to raise her blade. She never wanted to fight one of her comrades. She'd wanted to fight alongside them! Why was this happening?

"Advance! Slash!" cried Hijikata. He lurched forward, swinging his sword downwards, cleaving the night air in an instant. But even now, Saber's instincts responded almost on their own, and there was a shower of sparks as blade connected with blade.

"… The swordplay that cannot be called swordplay any longer… just as I remember, Okita-san!" came Hijikata's voice, as he bore down on her once more. It was… It was difficult to do more then defend. But if she didn't… for the moment, the other two weren't attacking, but how long would that last? They appeared to be allowing Hijikata to attack her on his own, for now, but there was no way of knowing if they would continue to show such restraint… and there was still the unknown enemy, too…

Her silver-gold eyes caught sight of her Master. The short brunette was watching with wide eyes, fear on her features… The girl she loved…

Saber pressed her foot down, bracing herself as she leveraged herself with the edge of her blade. Even if Hijikata was very skilled, the inspiration for her own most trusted technique, she wouldn't allow that to intimidate her! She couldn't allow that to stop her! Of course, even with her ensuing flurry of thrusts and slashes, he was still able to defend himself. But she wasn't going to allow herself to lose. Even against this many opponents…!

Blade clashed against blade, flashes sparks filling the night air! A final thrust clashed against the side of Hijikata's blade, forcing him backwards. Holding her blade up parallel to her eyes again, the edge tilted, Saber stepped forward.

"Even if it's one of my comrades, Hijikata-san…" she began, her voice firm, "I won't allow myself to fail! There's someone that I'm fighting for, and I can't just let that go because one of my enemies is also one of my comrades…"

Hijikata straightened, his sword glinting in the moonlight just as Saber's did. He was her comrade. He was one of the people she wished to have been able to fight to the end alongside. But now… in this moment, a moment she hoped could end quickly… he was her enemy. To deny that would be to lose… to lose would be to fail to obtain her wish, but not only that. She would lose Ai, too.

Even against these three opponents, the swordswoman would do everything she could to obtain victory. She wouldn't stop. She couldn't. For Ai's sake, and her own as well.

"An officer of the Shinsengumi never surrenders," asserted Hijikata as he readied himself, "But I am the Shinsengumi!"

The other two shades stepped forward, the horned woman still looking almost emotionless and empty, while the swordsman's face was still largely cloaked in darkness. But in her clashes with her opponents, Saber had realized something. While they were undeniably powerful, they did not seem as if they were fully on the level of a Servant. They had been degraded, an incomplete summon causing them not to posses the capabilities they were meant to. Or at least, that's what she could speculate. Was it because they were summoned in addition to the Servants that had already been present?

Or was it something else?

No matter what the cause was behind this… she could win! Saber knew in her heart that she could win! For Ai! Even for Hijikata! She would win even a fight like this! She had to claim victory!

Saber set one foot forward, readying herself. The Archer woman had almost been moving in a mechanical fashion, so if she could use that to her advantage there was a possibility that she would remove at least one of her enemies as quickly as possible. The swordsman would be more difficult, and… of course, Hijikata-san… but she had to defeat all of them. That included the as-of-yet unidentified fourth enemy… but it didn't matter. She would win regardless. She had to!

She-

She suddenly felt her grip loosen on her blade. A tremor running through her frame. A pain in her chest. This feeling…

She recognized it immediately. It was the feeling that plagued her during her last days. The thing that had caused her death. The freshness of the air, having been summoned in her homeland, had made a skill that was already unlikely to become active almost totally inert. But now…

Trembling, Saber coughed. Raising her hand to her mouth, she hacked again, pain shooting through her body as she shuddered…

Lowering her hand, she saw flecks of red in her palm.

"… N-now? No…. I c-can't…"

"S-Souji?!" she heard her Master's voice, as she tried to keep a firm grip on her katana. This alone was not capable of killing her, unlike it had in life, but now of all times… She felt lightheaded, feverish. It was difficult to even stay on her feet. She heard the twang of the Archer woman's bow, but she was still able to deflect the first arrow. The second, however, embedded itself into her shoulder, searing pain shooting through her body as she let out a gasp, falling to her knees.

"I… I… won't…" she mumbled, trying to force herself to stand. Why now, of all times? Was it going to rob her of the ability to do what she cared about, to stay alongside her loved ones, once more? Would it rob her of Ai? She raised her head, trying to focus, but what she was able to see… Hijikata standing over her. The swordsman and the Archer beside him, on either side. And now… an expressionless, white-haired, gold-eyed fox woman had emerged from the trees as well. Was she the Caster who had erected the bounded field trapping them in here? Perhaps… if she could just get to her feet… She had to get to her feet…

Saber coughed again, blood spattering onto the ground, now. She suddenly felt Ai at her side, grabbing onto her, trying to help her up… Yes, for Ai's sake, she had to get up. She had to get moving… She had to keep fighting. But she could barely move. As she tried to rise, she could see it… she could see Hijikata raising his sword. The horned Archer drawing her bow. The swordsman preparing to attack as well…

"How pitiful," she heard Hijikata's voice, "But the Shinsengumi shows no mercy, even to former comrades."

She tried to tell her Master to run. If she couldn't move, if this was how it was going to end… the girl samurai didn't want the one she loved to die here as well. But all that came out was another fit of coughing when she tried to speak.

Why now?

But then, without warning, a gunshot rang out. Weakly, looking up, Saber could see what had just happened. The expressionless fox Caster, she'd been shot cleanly through the head before she had even been able to react, her body almost immediately breaking apart and dissipating into nothing but darkness that drifted, rose, and vanished entirely into the night sky. The other three shades immediately turned, stunned, and there…

There was the familiar face of Archer. One hand was on his hat, the other was on his revolver, raised and still smoking from the bullet he'd drilled right through the shadow Caster's skull.

"Howdy," he said, simply, raising his free hand to wave lightly, "Looks like I wasn't a moment too soon."

With the shadow Caster dead… that would mean…! Trembling, Saber managed to glance towards the park's exit. Indeed, the vague shimmering that was the sign of the bounded field was completely gone, vanished in an instant with the fox woman's death.

"Go on 'n get outta here," the cowboy Servant continued, keeping his gun trained on the three shades, "You're in no condition to keep fightin'. I'll hold 'em here."

"You'd challenge the genius swordsman with that?!" snapped the swordsman with fiery red hair, immediately darting towards Archer. He let out a string of shots, forcing the man to stop and deflect them, and soon enough Hijikata had attacked, forcing Archer to dodge as the horned woman drew her bow once more… but for the moment, the three of them were distracted…!

She hadn't yet recovered. The pain of the arrow embedded in her shoulder was still blazing, and she could still barely stand. Blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth. But…!

Gripping the shaft of the arrow, Souji gritted her teeth, pain erupting sharply as she yanked it from her shoulder. Without a moment's pause, she forced herself to her feet, still breathing heavily…

"S-Souji, we-"

She cut her Master off. There was simply no time for anything else. She had to push herself… Grasping Ai once more, ignoring every protest of her body, the fever raging, her ragged breathing, the agony in her shoulder, Saber forced herself to sprint. From the corner of her eye, she could just barely catch sight of the armored Archer turning, loosing another arrow… And she felt it bury itself in her hip. Saber let out a strangled gasp of pain, blood filling her mouth, but she couldn't stop…!

Clutching Ai's body closely to herself, even as her Master trembled, unable to speak…

But with Archer keeping their attention…!

In spite of the weakness of her body, the pain in her shoulder and hip, Saber was able to clear the exit of the park and keep running. She had to keep running. To keep going and going and make as much distance between herself and the shadow Servants. To give herself a chance to recover, to-

The concrete behind her exploded. Eyes widening in shock, Saber was sent hurtling forward, given only time to tuck her body around the stunned Ai protectively, hitting the ground on her side. She had barely been able to stay on her feet, and now… there was little more she could do, as she struggled to rise, blood dripping from her mouth.

Her hands were still on Ai's shoulders, and after seeing that the smaller girl was alright, she coughed again and fell onto her side. That… that was good… but what…?

There was a beautiful woman. She was floating about a meter off the ground, circles of purple light drifting over her head and shoulders. She was incredibly pale, with white hair, and eyes a shade of dull gold. The same as the shades…? And yet… this was… she wasn't a shade. She was… a Servant…

"… Then… y-you're…" Saber tried to rise again, but she coughed, spitting red onto the street. At either side of the floating woman was another shade. One, an armored figure on horseback, and the other… an older man with a katana on his hip…

"… Y-You're… the Servant that Rani summoned?! B-but… but she said… S-Saber, you need to… you…"

Desperately, she felt her Master attempting to apply healing magecraft to her body, but this was nothing that magecraft could fix. No, all she could do is wait until she could recover, though the injuries from the arrows mended swiftly… The arrow embedded in her hip was even pushed out. Her Master… Ai was so good at mending her body, even if she couldn't fix something that was a Servant's skill…

"… Ah, so you know already?" said the floating woman, cocking her head. She was nearly without expression. Beside her there drifted a strange box, iridescent, purples and browns that seemed to shift… "Servant Avenger."

Avenger…? An irregular class that existed outside of the seven Servant classes usually intended to be summoned for the Holy Grail War? Atlas had summoned something like this…? Why… why was it so difficult to recover? Her Master was still desperately attempting to heal her…

"I'll eradicate you here," continued Avenger, simply, "It won't be painful."

She had to move…!

"No, Master," came another voice. A girl's… familiar…

Both Saber and Ai stared in shock as they saw the figure that emerged from the darkness. She was now clad in blackened armor, adorned with spines and with red designs across it. Her hair, once blonde, had been bleached to almost white. Her blue eyes were now gold, and a sharp grin adorned her beautiful features, her ragged cape drifting in the light breeze.

There was no mistaking her for anyone else, even considering the changes that had been inflicted upon her.

"I want to kill Saber myself," said Lancer.

For a few moments, the girl samurai simply couldn't understand. The girl, the knight that stood before her, was undeniably the Knight of the White Plume. By this point, Bradamante was unmistakable as anyone else. And yet… her once-white armor was now pitch black, gold decorations red. The Trap of Argalia carried the same colors, staining its form. It was as if her entire existence had been painted in darkness. What had Avenger done?! What had been done to Lancer?! A fire suddenly rising in Saber's heart, in spite of the weakness still plaguing her body, Saber managed to force herself up onto one knee.

"L-Lancer…" stammered Ai, "Y-you… what about… wh-where's Inoue-san…?"

"Inoue Tsubaki is no longer my Master," replied the knight, simply, raising her cavalry lance as she did.

"Avenger…" spoke Saber through gritted teeth, "What did you do?!"

"Would you like for me to show you?" responded the woman in the black dress, a smile slowly forming on her lips, one hand gesturing towards the box.

But Lancer shook her head.

"As I am now yours, I wish to make a request," said the knight, glancing back towards Avenger, "Saber is mine."

Her pale gold gaze returned to Saber, who still couldn't manage to completely regain her footing. Damn this Weak Constitution…!

"I haven't forgotten about our agreement, Saber," she continued, an edge of glee on her voice, "I remember every detail. We were to duel, were we not?"

Saber coughed, her entire body shaking. Indeed… even if her body was in no condition to fight, she had to protect Ai… if she had to duel Lancer in order to do so…

"But it's clear to me right now that your body is in no condition to fight," added Lancer, cocking her head to one side. Her hair, loosened from its usual braid, drifted freely in the light breeze, "And that wouldn't be a very satisfactory end, would it?"

Her grin grew. Unlike the dullness of Avenger's eyes, Lancer's eyes seemed to have a sort of intensity to them… entirely different from that which she have exhibited before. Why did this happen? How could it have happened? For Lancer to become some sort of darkened existence like this… Saber couldn't understand. Why could such a thing have happened, and… what had happened to Tsubaki, if Avenger had somehow replaced her…?

"Of course it wouldn't be," Lancer said, waving her hand without waiting for a response from the swordswoman, "So I won't kill you here. We'll fight again, when you're ready, Saber."

Even in her current state, it was impossible for Saber to miss Avenger's dull-eyed glance towards Lancer.

"… So my Lancer is still merciful, then," the floating Servant commented, simply, her tone completely flat once more. "… Very well."

Slowly, she landed, her bare feet touching the concrete as she approached. Saber felt Ai's arms around her, again… Avenger was utterly beautiful, and yet there was something so very… wrong about her as well. Physically there was nothing unusual, but there was… there was something off, as if she was slightly out of synch with the rest of the world in some fashion. It was impossible to recognize just how that was the case.

"S-stay… stay away!" cried Ai, trembling as she held Saber close, "I won't… I won't let you do whatever you want… I-I won't let you harm S-Saber!"

The Servant could feel how fast Ai's heart was beating simply from how closely they had been pressed together…

"… It is not as if anything in this world will survive," Avenger added, simply, as she leaned down, "Anything the gods ever felt anything for will end. Therefore, I shall accommodate her desire."

She reached out, a faint smile forming on her lips, as one finger ran across Saber's cheek. Just as quickly as she had been touched, in spite of the weakness plaguing her body, the samurai did her best to pull away.

Avenger simply straightened.

"… However, that Archer, in the park," she commented, her tone completely neutral once more, "Has no such agreement with you, does he?"

"… Heh."

Lancer suddenly spread her feet into a wide stance. Realizing what she was about to do, Saber desperately attempted to get to her feet… but another cough racked her body and she feel back to her knees, spitting blood. This… why did it have to strike now!? Even attempting to speak was painful.

"A-Avenger…!" she choked out, attempting to use her katana to rise once more.

"S-Saber, please, you…" she heard Ai's voice next to her. Her Master didn't know what to do… but it didn't matter. After everything that had happened, Souji couldn't even manage to rise to her feet any longer.

Blackened magical energy suddenly swirled out from the tip of the Trap of Argalia. The lance was soon coated in darkness, swirling and churning, spiraling across its surface almost as if it was a drill. The sheer power on display… it was beyond what Lancer had ever displayed before, chunks of concrete being ripped from the street by the roiling mana that encircled the shaft of the cavalry lance.

And with that, Lancer erupted forward, practically exploding towards the park. Soon, she had vanished from sight, disappearing beyond the trees.

Saber had been completely unable to stop her. She couldn't even stand, let along fight someone right now. Would Archer be able to escape…? And Lancer… Lancer's fate… she'd been torn away from Tsubaki and made into a Servant of someone like this… Her entire existence had been changed? Why…?

"… You're an obstacle to my revenge, Saber," said Avenger, gazing towards the park for a few moments, before looking back down at the platinum blonde girl, "One of the very last things between Pandora and her vengeance on the gods."

Pandora?!

That explained it, that box…!

"P-Pandora?!" she heard her Master's shocked voice.

"… Y-you… unleashed All the Evils of the World… from that box…" Saber said, panting, eyes drifting from the Servant to the box itself. There was only one thing it could be, after all.

"… Due to the deception of the gods, I became nothing but a tool to punish the humanity they truly cared about," responded Avenger, "And so, I will destroy it, and everything it has created."

"Y-You…!"

Saber lurched to her feet, her katana glinting…!

And she fell onto her front. Her body had become far too weak to attack…

"S-Saber, you… you can't… you have to rest!" cried Ai, trembling.

Avenger smiled.

As Saber's vision darkened, the Servant disappeared into the blackness as well.

* * *

He wasn't here on his Master's orders. It wasn't part of some kind of plan to secure the Holy Grail. As gunshots ran out, both from himself and the man in a cape wielding a rifle, there was one thing Archer was absolutely certain of.

He was here because he chose to be.

The cowboy sprinted through the treeline. Flaming arrows fell in a flurry, tearing through the gaps in the trunks and streaking past him. Bullets, too, tore through wood and buried themselves in the earth. He returned fire whenever he could, eyes not only watching the two samurai but also on the lookout for the other swordsman.

These shades, these false Servants, whatever they were. Individually they weren't as powerful as a Servant. He'd been able to kill that shadow Caster before she had even realized he was there. She'd been more like a machine then a Servant, though the same could not have been said for the swordsman, or the man in a cape. They seemed to possess far more intelligence.

And the fact was that three opponents who were similar to a Servant wasn't too far off from fighting enemy Servants, anyway.

But Archer was here because this was where he chose to be, and he was going to see things through. To be honest, the cowboy Servant wasn't exactly certain what was happening. He didn't understand where it was these phantoms had come from, how it was possible to summon things that were so close to Servants and yet weren't when there had already been a full set of seven. But at the moment, that wasn't the most important thing at all.

What was the most important thing was either escaping from these shades, or taking them out. For an outlaw, either was an acceptable response, now that his goal had been accomplished. Saber had escaped. By and large, the reason he'd chosen to intervene on her behalf was because of respect. Seeing someone like that taken out by a bunch of newcomers who weren't even real Servants due to something out of her control… Well, it just wasn't right, now, was it?

Arrows hurtled through the air, ahead of him, forcing him to back up, and in that instant he heard something else incoming behind him! Archer spun on his heel, and the man with the flaming hair and the blazing eyes was already raising his katana!

But Archer hadn't been known as the fastest gun in the west for nothing. His revolver snapped up, and in an instant three shots rang out, nearly at the same time as one another! While Assassin was able to respond, using the flat of his crimson katana to deflect the bullets in the blink of an eye as he backpedaled to slightly, forced to stop.

"Are you ready to challenge the greatest swordsman in the world, Archer?!" he cried, bringing his blade to bear once more.

"'Fraid I mighta already did that," responded Archer, keeping his revolver trained on the man, even as his eyes darted to his side. The taller man with the black cape wasn't visible any longer… "'N she was a hell of a lot more courteous then you."

Those fiery red eyes narrowed, as the man slide his feet into a ready stance once more. But before he could respond, Archer felt something at his side, suddenly…

"Advance! Slash!"

The man in the cape was there! Archer sprang back, the silver of his blade cutting through the air as he cleaved through the location the blonde cowboy had occupied just moments ago. And if that wasn't enough, the flaming arrows cut through the air again, forcing him to move before he could adjust his aim to fire on either of his opponents!

He gritted his teeth. Even when his enemies were assuredly not fully-summoned Servants, they were still quite potent enemies. If Archer was to be honest with himself, the truth was that this was not the sort of battle he was suited for. Facing three enemies at close range, head on… But…

There was plenty of cover in this park. And his opponents truly were not fully summoned Servants. That left him with a good chance! No, it left him with a path to victory! He was still the fastest gun in the west! He could escape, or even take out all three! Either way, it was his win!

But the best path to doing either of those things would be disabling the woman first, the girl with white hair and a bow. Those arrows made it hard to maneuver, and got him caught up whenever he tried to get distance on the two close-range fighters. The caped man still had his rifle, but that was a lot less threatening then the hail of arrows that kept getting thrown his way. If the cowboy Servant had to guess, the horned woman was a sort of shadow Archer, while the others were… perhaps a shadow Assassin, and…

The tree he had quickly darted around was suddenly sliced completely in half, the caped man in hot pursuit.

"Advance! Slash!" he cried again. Any obstacle in his way was cut apart in an instant! It didn't matter whatever was between him and Archer himself, the man was going to cut it apart without a moment's pause.

In Archer's mind, that made his class obvious as well. There was no denying he was shadow Berserker! And all three of them, each was a shade of this land, a Japanese Servant summoned into some sort of shadowy container… the Caster he'd summoned, too, appeared to have been Japanese… Just where had these Shadow Servants come from!?

Shadow Berserker drew his rifle once more, but in this case Archer was certainly much faster, firing on the man before he could pull the trigger. A single shot struck the caped swordsman in his shoulder, and he seemed to almost let out some sort of growl before finally deciding to dodge, to take some sort of cover to avoid being hit again for the moment. But there was Shadow Archer, drawing her bow…!

An arrow was loosened, and Archer fired his revolver. The flaming head of the Shadow Servant's shot met the bullet in mid-air, and was deflected! It hurtled off-course into the forest, and as the samurai woman drew and let loose multiple arrows in rapid succession, Archer answered by firing his gun just as quickly. When it came to aim and speed, it was difficult to get past him, and for this moment while the other two Shadow Servants were held at bay he could deflect Shadow Archer's arrows by shooting them out of the air! But this couldn't last, now that he was focused on countering Shadow Archer he knew that the other two would be able to move up…!

Wait, where was Shadow Assassin…?!

Indeed, in that moment, the fiery-haired man suddenly burst from the darkness, raising his katana! Damn it, he was too close to take aim at…! Archer couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself, that he'd failed to realize just how close one of the enemies had come while he was focused on countering Shadow Archer's arrows! Shadow Assassin's sword flashed in the moonlight, slicing downwards through the air…!

And metal clashed against metal in an instant, as Archer swung his gun through the air and slammed the bottom of his revolver's grip against the side of Shadow Assassin's katana! It wasn't anything that could last, a conflict at close range was exactly where Archer didn't want to be, but in that instant he'd been able to stop himself from being struck! It gave him that crucial instant, even as he noticed Shadow Berserker raising his rifle to fire, to leap back and gain some distance! Immediately after he got out of range of Shadow Assassin's sword, he opened fire, gunshots ringing out as he forced his attacker back. Even if enemy Servants were capable of deflecting bullets, these shades were still forced back, still delayed each time that they had dodge or defend from each shot he fired. If he could capitalize on that, he could escape… but he wanted to try to win.

An outlaw would always reach for any chance, any glimmer of hope, that they could, after all!

There was a crack of Shadow Berserker's rifle firing, and Archer immediately ducked low. The blond boy could almost feel the bullet hurtling overhead, and Shadow Assassin was advancing once again, blade held low down in a bid to swing it upwards into a sweeping slash. The cowboy Servant had no doubt that it would be difficult to pull off another trick like that against him, and so he focused instead on keeping his distance from the two swordsmen. He definitely had his work cut out for him, but… to be able to find that chance…

Archer could do it!

Cracks of gunfire, the twang of arrows, these sounds filled the park. Archer's plan was slowly coming into play. He was forced to take an indirect path, a wide circle as he fled from Shadow Berserker and Shadow Assassin, but his aim was still clear. He could circle back towards Shadow Archer, get a clear line of fire on her, and with Shadow Archer taken out, one of the biggest threats in the fight would be removed. That wasn't to say that neither of the other two Shadow Servants were also extremely dangerous, but it was Shadow Archer who was making it nearly impossible to focus on them by raining down fiery arrows whenever the cowboy had a moment to think. He had to count on them not realizing that this was his plan, but to be honest… Shadow Berserker's planning abilities seemed dulled by his bloodlust and fervor, Shadow Assassin seemed more like the type to go for the throat as swiftly as possible rather then take his time with analysis, and Shadow Archer herself was almost like some sort of machine.

Not that he could count on any of that. Archer had no way of looking into the minds of others. But he had to do what he could based on everything he had seen so far!

A gunshot fired to his left, and then another. Even as Archer ducked and rolled to avoid them, Shadow Berserker was already charging with a yell, his sword raised. The wound in his shoulder didn't appear to slow him down one bit! But as long as Archer could keep evading him, that was what mattered most!

"For defying the Shinsengumi, the only punishment is death!" snarled the cape-clad man, a fire seeming to have been lit in his eyes.

"Sorry, I don't got any interest in dyin' just yet," replied Archer, as he spun in place to fire on Shadow Berserker and force him to back off for at least a moment. He was closing in on Shadow Archer, just a little longer and he'd have a clear line of fire on her…!

An arrow hurtled through the air as he turned. It caught him in the lower arm, pain immediately shooting up his entire right shoulder, his grip loosening as he dropped his revolver with a gasp. But…

Reaching out with his left, Archer snatched his gun from the air and took aim! Not that being hit in his right arm was a good thing, but being ambidextrous made it easy to recover from something like this! Brushing off the pain in his right side, Archer opened fire to shoot down the remaining arrows hurtling towards him!

For the moment, his right arm hung limply. As a Servant, he could recover, but now wasn't the time to go pulling an arrow out to let his arm heal. He had to focus on the fight himself, to not let the pain of his injury distract him!

But that pain in his arm bought a crucial moment for his enemies. Before Archer could turn again, there was another gunshot, and he felt a sharp stab of pain in his abdomen. Gritting his teeth, he stumbled forward, managing only barely to keep his balance. Breaking off from his plan to attack Archer, he sprinted into the treeline to put as much between himself and his attackers as he could.

It was easy to take stock of the damage after that. The bullet had blown through his body cleanly, but there was no about that it was a serious injury. Down one arm and taking a bullet… Ah, he'd messed up, hadn't he? It wasn't going to be too easy to kill them or escape, now…

"Archer… this is the end."

That voice… it wasn't any of the Shadow Servants.

Straightened, his breathing heavy, now, the blond cowboy turned towards the source of the voice.

Lancer. Her entire appearance had changed, however. Black and red armor, nearly white hair, dull gold eyes… something had happened to her, even If he wasn't sure what. That grin on her lips was enough to tell him that even if nothing else had been altered.

"… You think so, huh?" he asked, raising his revolver. For the moment, the Shadow Servants had stopped their attack… was it because Lancer had shown up? "… I might just be able to make that harder for you, ma'am."

Lancer took a step forward, raising her weapon as she did. Even her lance had been blackened, tainted, the same shades of red and black as her armor.

"… So, this is what the famous outlaw's last stand feels like," Archer commented, largely to himself. He'd never gotten to have one, in life. He'd died in an ambush, surprised by a former friend after having been awakened from his sleep. "Funny, didn't really know what to expect…"

He took aim.

Magical energy seemed to radiate from Lancer's body.

The black knight charged.

Archer fired.

In that moment, he could see it. He could see where the bullet would hit. He could see there was no way for Lancer to avoid it.

And he could see that it wouldn't matter.

The bullet buried itself in Lancer's side, but the knight didn't stop.

Archer's injuries made it impossible for him to move quickly enough to escape.

It was his last stand, after all. Something he'd never gotten to experience in life. There was no way he could escape.

The tip of the lance buried itself in his chest, driving deeper until it erupted out of his back.

He remained on his feet, even with the weapon piercing his chest. Blood trickled from his mouth, dripped from the lance, and splattered on the earth.

Archer dropped his gun.

"… So this is it, huh," he said. It wasn't the first time he had died, after all. At least this time he'd seen it coming, so that was something he couldn't say about the first death all those years ago.

"You are one of the last Servants to fall, Archer," Lancer said, cocking her head to one side as she did, "Take solace in that as you die."

"… Yeah… guess that's all I can do now, huh?" he responded. There was an ugly sound as the lance was ripped from his chest, and he staggered backwards, stopping only when he hit a tree. With a gasp, he slid downwards, smearing the tree with red as he fell into a sitting position. In this moment, his mind drifted to the thoughts of his Master… but more than that, Marion. The little girl liked to spend time with him… she was going to be upset, wasn't she?

"… Guess an outlaw's luck always runs out…" he commented to himself, as his eyes began to feel heavy.

His eyes drifted upwards. The night sky was filled with stars…

"… Dyin' lookin' up at the stars…" he said, as Lancer began to leave, "… Ain't so bad, after all…"

Moments later, golden light drifted away into the air.

Archer was gone.

* * *

Everything had gone wrong.

Souji had passed out, and Ai couldn't get her to wake up. She was still alive, her body hadn't vanished, the small brunette could still feel the weight of supporting a Servant on her magic circuits. And… Ai at least could tell she hadn't been placed in a coma or something like that. It was the result of that Weak Constitution skill… It had been made less severe by summoning Okita Souji in Japan, to the point where Ai had thought that it wouldn't activate at all. But now… Well, now it was clear that had been a mistaken belief.

She wrapped her small hands around one of Souji's. Even knowing the Servant would eventually wake up… seeing her like this, after everything that had happened… seeing those arrows piercing her body in the park had been painful. Seeing her cough up blood, become so weak that she could barely move when she had been so swift and light on her feet moments ago… It was horrible. Ai's grip tightened on Saber's hand. She desperately wanted her to wake up, but she had no idea how long that would take. She hadn't even been able to try and move her, both girls were still sitting some distance from the park. For that matter…

Ai could no longer hear the sounds of battle from the park. The night had become still once more.

Was Archer dead?

She had no way of knowing.

What had happened to Lancer? Why had she become darkened? Her entire appearance was stained with blackness, and even her simple presence felt dark as well… It wasn't as if Lancer had become like this due to a betrayal of some sort. Even the way she acted had changed… was it something Avenger had done?

Avenger…

Even if she hadn't said much, her intent became clear whenever she spoke. She wanted to… to somehow mount an attack on all of humanity. In vengeance against gods who had long since vanished. Even if she hadn't mentioned her identity, it would have been obvious who Avenger was. That box, her very nature, everything pointed to her being Pandora from the mythology of Ancient Greece. Which meant that the box itself was none other than Pandora's box… what kind of Noble Phantasm would something like that even be? It was devastating, it had unleashed all the evils of the world in mythology. What could possibly be contained within a box like that?

How could someone fight something so terrible?

And if Lancer was now Avenger's Servant, alongside the shades that had apparently been summoned by her, what had happened to Tsubaki? Was she still okay?

Was she even still alive?

Clutching at Souji's hand tighter, Ai leaned forward and buried her face in the girl samurai's clothing, feeling the breathing of the girl she loved. What could she even do now? Even when Saber awakened, how could they fight something like that? They had to try… but… Lancer was now under Avenger's sway, she had summoned shades that worked for her, Tsubaki could be dead…

What could she do?

"Matsushita Ai."

The voice was somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it briefly, not so long ago. Slowly, her gold eyes drifted upwards, away from Souji's prone form…

That uniform was undeniably Atlas's. But it wasn't just that. That purple hair, that dark skintone, her eyes… that petite, almost child-like body… It was Rani!

"R-Rani… IV…?" Ai asked, wide-eyed. There was no way it could be anyone else, right? If it was Rani, then… then she could ask her about Avenger! She could find out... she could find out something useful, right?!

"I am Rani," replied the dark-skinned girl, "But I am not the Rani you know."

For a few moments, the short magus was silent. What… what did Rani mean? She certainly looked completely identical to the Rani she met after the fight with Caster, didn't she? It wasn't just a case of similar appearance, either. The more she looked at Rani, the more she tried to clear her mind and think back to that conversation, the more obvious it became that every single physical feature was exactly the same as Rani IV's had been.

"I am Rani V," elaborated the purple-haired girl. It didn't take much longer for Ai to understand just what this meant. The numerical label… trying to clear her mind of fear and sorrow, Ai took a deep breath. If this Rani was labeled V, and the previous Rani was IV, did that mean that they were both, perhaps, homunculi created from the same 'template'? She knew Atlas was adept at creating homunculi, and that would explain quite a bit about the two girls. What it didn't explain is what Rani V was doing there.

"… R-Rani… V?" she asked.

The girl nodded.

"I have been deployed as part of a recovery mission," she added, her tone just as neutral and flat as the other Rani's had been, "In order to return Rani IV to Atlas and bring the failed project to a close."

Failed project…

Was that the Servant that Rani IV had attempted to summon? The Avenger who had appeared not long ago, who had expressed her desire for vengeance? Given what the other Rani had said, the way in which the project had failed was pretty obvious given it seemed they had never intended to truly participate in the Holy Grail War…

"… Then… Avenger…"

Rani nodded again.

"We had intended to summon the Heroic Spirit Pandora into the class container of Caster," responded the dark-skinned girl, "As such, we waited until the original Caster was defeated and returned to the Throne of Heroes. However, it seems as if we have made a dire miscalculation."

That miscalculation had resulted in so many terrible things, hadn't it…

"I have already spoken to Inoue Tsubaki," continued Rani, "And she is prepared to lend what assistance she can."

Tsubaki?!

"I-Inoue-san is still alive?!" stammered Ai, wide-eyed, "Then… then… but Lancer…"

"I am not yet certain what has happened to Lancer," responded Rani, "More observation is yet required."

"Mmmn…"

Ah… And Saber was starting to wake up, too! She could see the girl's silver-gold eyes flickering open… after a moment, the girl samurai was slowly sitting up, one hand to her forehead.

"Ah… Master?"

Ai quickly reached out, placing her small hands on the other girl's shoulders. Her body still felt hot, as if she still had a fever, but at the very least she was conscious again. Ai could hope that was a sign that Souji's Weak Constitution skill would soon wear off… So much had happened so quickly. Lancer's fate, to be apparently corrupted by Avenger… it was horrible, seeing her with that blackened armor, that sharpened grin on her face. But at the same time, the news that Tsubaki was alive and well… And Souji's recovery, as well…

Maybe Lancer could be saved?

"Rani… IV-san?" Saber asked, trying to shake her head clear of lingering lightheadedness. As her mind cleared, the platinum blonde swordswoman's eyes widened.

"Lancer! Where is she?!" she stumbled to her feet, one hand immediately on her sword even though she still seemed quite unsteady.

"S-Souji, Lancer is gone already," Ai said, quickly. As much as she wanted to do something, it was quite apparently that her Servant had not yet recovered enough to go after anyone, let alone the other remaining original Servant. Even if… she was… Seeing Lancer like that was truly terrible. Her mind continually drifted back to the thought of the serious, yet sweet-natured girl in a sundress who had been so dutiful and loyal to Tsubaki… now this blackened knight with a wicked grin. How could something like that happen? Just what kind of abilities did Pandora's Box possess?

All the evils of the world had been contained in that box…

Rani's voice cut into her thoughts once more, snapping her out her fears.

"Rani V," she corrected Souji, "The Rani you spoke to previously is currently in need of recovery."

If Rani IV was Avenger's Master, did that mean Avenger was holding her somewhere? In order to prevent her from using her command seals to force her to commit suicide, but also to protect her from interference? That seemed likely… the girl had been adamant that Atlas had no intention of entering the grail war themselves. Given that Rani V was referring to this almost in a manner that would be comparable to a rescue mission, referring to the project as a failure, it seemed obvious that Rani IV wasn't willingly acting as Avenger's Master.

But more than all of that…

"… Rani V-san," Ai began, her hands still on her Servant as her gold eyes drifted towards the dark skinned girl, "How… how was Inoue-san doing?"

Even if she was alive… after losing her Servant… Seeing Lancer like that was terrible, but Ai couldn't imagine how something like that must feel for Tsubaki. She had been quite close to Lancer… and knowing how Ai herself felt about Saber… the idea of being in Tsubaki's shoes right now was something terrible to think about.

"She did not seem very willing to talk at length," responded Rani, "But she quickly agreed to provide assistance in any way she was able."

That didn't really give any indication of how Tsubaki was doing… but to be frank, it was difficult to expect anything concrete in those regards when it came to someone who seemed to how as little emotion as Rani V did. The girl was totally expressionless no matter what she talked about, so expecting her to be able to talk about the feelings of others almost seemed unfair. Still… she had to see Tsubaki, to know how she was doing…

"… I-I have to go after Lancer," said Saber, suddenly, taking a shaky step forward. She almost fell over again, coughing suddenly, one hand over her mouth as she did. Ai knew that she saw flecks of red on that pale palm… reaching out, she wrapped her hands around Souji's free hand, to stop the other girl. "I… I h-have to!"

"N-no, Saber!" she insisted, "I… I know… I… I don't understand what happened, she's… she's not like the Lancer we knew before, anymore…"

The short brunette girl averted her eyes, her golden gaze drifting towards the floor, "B-but… you can't fight right now! W-we have to wait until your skill wears off, before we can do anything else…"

If there was a chance to save Lancer, they had to take it…

"I believe that Lancer may currently be bound to Avenger," said Rani, "The Servant of a Servant, in a violation of the structure of the Holy Grail War."

Ai could see Saber's hands balled into fists at her sides… But she could also see the way that the girl was barely able to stay on her feet. That wasn't to say that she didn't seem to be slowly recovering. She was conscious and able to stand at all. But right now… Ai couldn't let the girl she loved charge into danger when she was feeling so weak, no matter what it was that Souji said to the contrary. If Saber tried to fight Lancer when she was in this condition and died as a result… Ai wouldn't let something like that happen.

"… We'll… we'll meet up with Inoue-san, Saber…" began Ai, "… Maybe there's some way we can save Lancer, too…"

It was difficult for Ai to convince herself of this possibility. But the fact was that she was hoping it was the case. Even if Lancer was one of the last remaining Servants in the war, the fact that she had been forced to serve Avenger, twisted to fit Pandora's needs…

"… We have to stop Avenger, too…" replied Saber, "She wanted to take revenge on the gods by attacking humanity, we can't let her… I won't let her."

Ai nodded. Saber's voice seemed a little stronger, now. But even still… ah, what could she do? What was Avenger really planning? She said she wanted to take revenge, but how could she do something like that? To attack the entire human race?

Could a single Servant do something like that?

But right now, there was no way they could pursue Avenger. Saber still needed time to recover.

"But Souji, we… you're in no condition to do it right now!" she insisted, "I… I don't want to see you get hurt… or worse… wh-what if she tried to do the same to you that she did to Lancer?"

That thought was terrifying too. It was worse then the idea of Souji getting killed… seeing her warped into something else like that, someone who would follow Avenger. The idea of that was so much worse then anything else. There was no way that she could allow Saber to go charging off and risk something like that…

"… Ai… I…" the platinum blonde samurai was silent for a few moments. Her voice still sounded much stronger then it had moments ago, but the fact remained that she still seemed to be unsteady on her feet, her breathing somewhat ragged and uneven. "… If I can't fight to the end, I…"

Her shoulders sagged.

"… I'm sorry, Ai-chan," she turned towards the short brunette, giving her a weak smile as she did, "… I don't want to just sit here and spit up blood when I should be fighting, not again… Lancer doesn't deserve this."

That much was obvious. And it was obvious how Saber felt… The way in which she had died in life was left stuck in her bed when the people she knew as here allies died in battle. But this wasn't the same. The idea of facing Avenger and Lancer was frightening enough, and Ai didn't want to lose Saber…

"… I know, Souji," Ai replied. It was painful, knowing how Saber must feel, but at the same time the idea of something happening to her was far worse. Images of Saber getting injured and coughing up blood played out in the small magus's mind again and again… "But I don't want to lose you. If you can't fight right now, pushing yourself won't help a-anyone… Shouldn't… shouldn't we talk to Inoue-san first?"

"…"

For several moments, Saber was silent. Apprehensively, Ai clenched her hands into fists. Okita Souji was… she was the most beautiful, kind, and wonderful girl that Ai had ever met. Just seeing her made Ai's heart beat faster. That lovely, silvery-gold hair… her smile. Her golden eyes… The way that she moved. She could remember, even now, after everything that had happened so recently, the way that her skin felt, her body against Ai's own… Her voice, everything about Souji was almost too wonderful for words. In a similar fashion, the idea of losing her was almost too terrible for words. Was she strange, for falling in love with a Servant who had been summoned to do battle for the Holy Grail? That didn't change that she was a beautiful girl, though… but regardless of anything else…

She couldn't lose Saber.

"… I guess it wouldn't help if all I could do was cough up blood on them," said the girl samurai, finally, "… If I'm going to get back Lancer and defeat Avenger, I want to show them the real Okita Souji."

Ai relaxed immediately. Even now, when they were up against a Servant threatening to attack all of humanity and one of their allies had been… taken by her… she was still capable of putting on a smile and being optimistic. But that was just one of the many things Ai loved about her, wasn't it?

"Yes. We'll show them just what you're made of, Souji-chan."

It was a lot more difficult to for Ai to put on a smile, but for the sake of her Servant she did so.

All this had made her almost forget that Rani was still watching the both of them. Ah…

There was something important to discuss with her, before they went to meet Inoue again.

"… Rani V-san," she began, turning to face the dark-skinned girl, "Avenger said she wanted to attack the human race to take revenge… is… is it possible for a single Servant to do something like that? If she were to obtain the Holy Grail, I know she could wish for it, but…"

Rani's purple eyes drifted, as it appeared the girl was undergoing some swift mental calculations. The still somewhat unsteady Saber, too, was now facing the diminutive Atlas homunculus as well.

After what seemed like forever, Rani finally spoke.

"The nature of Pandora's Box is as a receptacle for All the Evils of the World," she began, "It is not literally the origin of all evil that has ever existed. Rather, it is a divine construct created to embody this nature conceptually. From the moment of its creation, its very existence was painted in this blackness."

That stood to reason. Given the way the world functioned, Pandora's Box could not have been the source of the existence of the concept known as evil. But it could be understood as something that contained everything that was considered to be evil. And Pandora was the one who, from the moment of her creation, had been destined to open it. At least that was what the gods that had created her intended.

"It can be said that while it did not exist from the beginning, Pandora's Box became something that had always contained All the Evils of the World even though it was not present for the conception of the idea of evil," continued Rani, "The black mud that pours out of it is this evil, the physical existence of an endless, infinite amount of curses and hatred that pours from it whenever it is opened even slightly. I believe this may be the way in which she was able to corrupt Lancer into becoming her Servant."

So that was it? The mud from within Pandora's Box has been used to corrupt Lancer? It was a terrible thing to think about.

"Fundamentally, this mud truly is All the Evils of the World," added Rani.

"Because of this, there is no doubt in my mind that Pandora's Box is an anti-world Noble Phantasm capable of attacking all of humanity."

* * *

Avenger… Pandora.

Tsubaki sat at her desk in her room dully. She had drawn her legs up onto her seat, hugging her knees to her chest. That was the name of the one who had taken Lancer away from her. Pandora herself, the girl who had been used by the gods to unleash All the Evils of the World. That was the one who had taken away Lancer.

It wasn't as if it was the first person she had lost so recently.

There was a part of her, the part of her that had succeeded on some level in retraining her mind to be that of a cold-blooded magus concerned primarily with the advancement of her family's magecraft rather than anything else, that was attempting to argue that Lancer was a Servant, a temporarily existence summoned to fight for the Holy Grail. But that fact didn't change just who Lancer was, did it? Just because she was someone who was long-dead, someone who had been granted a transient form in order to do battle with others who existed in the same manner… It didn't change that Lancer was a diligent, loyal, kind girl. She was every bit the Bradamante of legend.

And now she was, by Rani V's words, taken by Avenger. When she had tried to ask what that meant, it seemed the Atlas agent hadn't known at the time. She hadn't been able to bring herself to say much more afterwards. Atlas had taken Saori away from her, too… the only reason she had agreed to help…

It was her fault. If she'd said something to Ai, maybe they would have still been together when Avenger appeared. Maybe if Lancer and Saber were still working together…

The tanned girl hugged her knees more closely to herself.

Saori. Ai. Lancer. The people she cared about were disappearing from her life, one way or another. Tsubaki supposed with ai it had been inevitable, no matter what she had tried to do. With Lancer… if she hadn't run, was it possible she could have been able to support the knight? She didn't know. But the idea, even the slimmest possibility of an outcome where she had prevented Lancer's defeat… it played out in her mind again and again.

Tsubaki had told her father that she'd win. She'd succeed where he had failed, and that she'd do it without killing any of the other Masters. It wasn't as if he had ever told her, but she was certain he felt no small amount of guilt for the deaths of both of Ai's parents. He had never told her what happened, she simply knew that he was responsible. It was one of the reasons she had decided not to kill any other Masters, if she could help it. She wouldn't have blood on her hands for something like this. She wouldn't hurt anyone else. She wouldn't hurt another member of the Matsushita family.

How could Tsubaki have said something like that to Ai? And yet, because she hadn't…

Everything had gone wrong.

As a magus, she had failed. She lost her chance at claiming victory in the Holy Grail War. As a friend, she had failed. She hadn't told Ai the truth, thought she knew that would have lead to the same result. She had failed as a Master. She'd run, leaving Lancer to be defeated by Avenger.

She'd failed and failed and failed. Had there ever been a point to her entry into the Holy Grail War in the first place? She hadn't even been able to help Saori.

Just what had she done right, in the end? Her efforts to find Saori had turned up nothing, her efforts to try and make peace with the Matsushita family and become Ai's friend had ended up like this, and her Servant was gone. As a human being and as a magus, she had failed.

Tsubaki had barely had the motivation to leave her room when Rani V had appeared. If nothing else, the Atlas agent had affirmed that Saori was unharmed, but was unable to provide further details on her whereabouts. It didn't really make things any better… but, at least, whatever remaining optimism resided in Tsubaki's heart was able to acknowledge it didn't make things any worse, either, when it came to Saori.

The girl hadn't left her room since the previous night. Since the crimson seals on the back of her right hand had simply faded away into nothing. She hadn't sought the Church for safety, either. Not only did the idea of doing so even now make her feel like a coward, running away and seeking asylum after Lancer was defeated like that, but it was hard enough to motivate herself to do anything at all at this point, anyway.

The only thing that really was motivating Tsubaki, in the end, was the idea that she could possibly, just maybe help to end it. She didn't know how… But Rani had sought her out anyway. It was possible it was simply because she was one of the remaining Masters, or it could have been something else. Either way, if Rani V thought she could help… She had to do something. To try and resolve a situation born out of the mistakes she had made. At least, that was how she felt about it.

Tsubaki hadn't spoken to her father since the previous night, either. What did she have to say to him? That she'd lost her chance to claim the Holy Grail? It was likely he already knew, given how her Servant had vanished and she had remained in the house for so long.

And yet…

She'd go when Rani needed her. It was the only thing left that she really could do. There was that remaining sliver of hope in her heart that she wouldn't fail at that, as well, in spite of her doubts. It was her final chance to do something right. She knew that Ai would never want to speak to her, that she'd likely never see Saori, and that Lancer was gone forever.

But if she could put things right, at least… it was something.

With that in mind, Tsubaki couldn't simply sit there any longer. She may have failed at everything else, but… that was what made it more important to do whatever she could. Taking a deep breath, she slowly rose to her feet. No matter what reservations she could have, she had agreed to help Rani, after all, and deep down she knew that this was the right course of action. Her father… it was likely what he would expect of her as well.

And, perhaps most importantly… it was what Lancer would have wanted her to do. The knight had a strong sense of justice, and so stopping Avenger due to the threat she would pose to innocent people would have been chief on her mind. In fact, Tsubaki was certain those thoughts were on her mind… right up until the very end.

Unbidden, the tanned girl could suddenly feel tears welling up once more. Taking a deep, trembling breath, she swiftly wiped her eyes and tried to clear her mind. Now was the time for action. It had to be. She couldn't allow for anything else. Swiftly, she opened her drawer. The black-haired girl hadn't had the opportunity to fight directly very frequently over the course of the war. In fact, it had only been when she was up against that bastard Natsuki that she had done so, using her wind-based magecraft to strike him with a heavily enhanced punch that sent him flying.

As a result of this fact, Tsubaki still had a large number of resources. What use these would be against a Servant, she had no idea… but she had to try. There were capsules of compressed mana that could be released as a destructive blast of air, strong enough to shatter stone. There was no doubt in the girl's mind that it would be useful against flesh as well, though she had never tried attacking anything living with them before now. There were various items she had stored mana inside, one in particular being a knife specifically crafted for such a purpose. By her guess, it would likely explode if she attempted to release the mana inside of it, but that would certain add to its offensive potential if nothing else.

This encompassed everything that she could offer to Rani's cause. To the cause of defeating Pandora. But without being a Servant herself, she wasn't certain if it would even be possible for her to do any real damage to the Avenger.

But she had to try, didn't she?

As she turned to leave her room, the tanned magus paused for a moment. Rani had mentioned seeking assistance from the other Masters, as well… so it was only to be expected that she would speak to Ai, as well, given Saber was one of the few remaining Servants in the war. That meant…

There was no way Ai would even want to look at her, that was for certain. Not after what she'd learned. Tsubaki wouldn't have even known what to say. But somehow, there was maybe just the smallest glimmer of hope in her heart at the possibility of speaking to her once again. From the very moment she had met Ai, she'd never wanted to hurt her. She had been worried, hoping that another member of the Matsushita appearing was just a coincidence. But after it became clear she was part of the Holy Grail War…

But it wasn't only that. There were more factors to her allegiance with Ai then that. There were the practical reasons related to Tsubaki's existence as a magus, but those were ultimately secondary… The truth was that the main reason was, after their conversation on Ai's first day of school… Ai was simply a nice girl who seemed like she needed friends. Tsubaki had wanted to be one of those friends, if nothing else. Not only because it seemed like a nice thing to do, but because she had simply wanted to do so.

She'd certainly failed when it came to that, hadn't she?

Tsubaki packed up her things can headed out of her room, quietly shutting the door behind her. As she began to leave, the black-haired magus glanced towards the door to her father's room. She had no idea what it was that he would say when she told him. She hadn't yet. She didn't intend to, yet. Would he say she had done her best, or say that she was a failure?

Tsubaki wasn't sure what would have been worse.

Turning away, she headed downstairs and out of her home, adjusting the bag hanging from her shoulder as she did. Rani was not too far away, having created a temporary workshop in an old building that had yet to be demolished on the orders of her superiors, as she had explained. It wouldn't be hard to get to, and if Rani wasn't there at the time all she would have to do was wait.

The streets were quiet. They usually were, at this time of night. It was one of the many reasons that this town was suitable for a Holy Grail War, on reflection. There simply wasn't much of a night life in Minami. Especially in the residential areas… It was the kind of place that you could do these things at night and not have to worry about witnesses. Most of the time, at least.

Most of the time.

Tsubaki paused. It wasn't a Servant, but there was no doubt about it. There was someone following her. To be honest, if it had been a Servant, she likely would never have noticed. But she could feel a slight tingling sensation up the length of her spine, she could tell that there was someone there, someone watching her.

Her grip on her bag tightened.

"… Who's there?" Tsubaki asked.

For several moments, there was no response at all. It was somewhat foolish to expect one, if she was being honest. Whoever was tailing her had wanted to do so in secrecy.

"Impressive."

Suddenly, a foot came scything down towards her! It was not the strength and skill of a Servant behind the attack, that was immediately obvious as Tsubaki hurled herself away from the initial blow. Not, this was an attack by someone who was human, albeit reinforcing themselves with magecraft. Even so, she could feel the wing rushing past her from the swipe of her attacker's leg. Had they struck her, the kick could have taken her head off! The man's heel slammed into the concrete where she had just stood, cracking it from the sheer mana-enhanced impact of his foot.

"There are many others who would have utterly failed to react in time even when they did notice me. You have quite sharp instincts, Inoue Tsubaki."

That familiar voice… it took only a moment for Tsubaki to realize just who was speaking to her. That tall, imposing frame… Her attacker was none other than Hirata Genjiro! But why?! He had already lost his chance to claim the Holy Grail! Had Rani not approached him about the matter of Avenger? She had never expected to stand facing him down like this after Rider was defeated. But this… it had been obvious he was intending something from the very start, when he told Ai about the deaths of her parents. But Tsubaki hadn't thought it could be something like this! Attacking her?!

"Hirata Genjiro?!" exclaimed the tanned girl, raising her fists. Her bag hadn't fallen off in the flurry of activity that had occurred when he attempted to quite literally kick her head clean off her shoulders. Just what was he thinking? There was no way that he could claim the Holy Grail any longer! "What… what are you doing?!"

No matter how confused and surprised the girl was, she wasn't about to let something like this frighten her. Her opponent was a single human being, absolutely someone she could win against.

"I am going to kill you, Inoue Tsubaki," he said, simply, raising his fists as he did, "Those who are soon to die need no other answer than that.

She stepped back. Tsubaki had never fought another magus before like this, but she was able to have some level of understanding when it came to the sort of spells that Genjiro could use. To begin with, it was obvious he had reinforced his body a great deal, allowing him to crack the street with the impact of his foot. Other than that… Had he been the one who created the explosion that could have killed Alysvial von Einzbern had Ai not intervened? If that was the case, it was safe to assume that such spells were among the man's magecraft knowledge.

"Why?" Tsubaki demanded, "Neither of us our participants in the Holy Grail War any longer. What possible reason could you have?!"

"Do you not realize?" he asked, cocking his head to one side, "Indeed, I have lost my Servant, but… I was greeted by another not long before Rider's death."

Greeted by another… Wait…

"Avenger?!" Tsubaki's eyes widened. Had Hirata Genjiro formed an alliance with Pandora?! Was he insane!? He couldn't be her Master, given the fact that Avenger had been summoned by Atlas and according to Rani was still bound to the other Rani, but that was the only other Servant she could think of that wasn't accounted for. But making an alliance with someone like that… it was madness! Who could possibly think that it was a good idea? Her entire existence was painted in the blackness that seeped out of Pandora's Box! There was a reason that it was said to contain All the Evils of the World!

"Are you insane?!" she cried, "Avenger is Pandora, she's carrying with her a box that contains All the Evils of the World! I knew you were a magus who had forgone morality, but I didn't think you were mad!"

"Insane?" asked Hirata Genjiro. He seemed calm, completely nonplussed by Tsubaki's comments. It was as if nothing had phased him whatsoever. "Of course not. I have simply understood that this is my best path forward in order to claim what it is that I desire. A lack of sanity has nothing to do with it. It was only logical that I make this decision."

His feet slid back into a ready stance. It was difficult for Tsubaki to analyze just what fighting style he was about to use, but to be honest she was surprised to see him using hand to hand as well. She did, in fact it was something a lot of her magecraft have been intended to work in conjunction with. Utilizing breathing, the flow of her body's motions, combining it with her magecraft to condense and release blasts of wind or move herself around, that was the way in which Inoue Tsubaki's magecraft had been intended to function.

She hadn't expected Genjiro to utilize the same methods.

"What could you possibly desire that would make you risk making an alliance with someone like that?!" she asked, eyeing Genjiro warily. From her perspective, forging an alliance with the monster that had taken away Lancer, who was a threat not just to the participants in the Holy Grail War but to humanity itself… it was difficult for her to even begin to understand why someone would do such a thing. She simply couldn't understand. Pursuing knowledge, pursuing the root, that was something that she could grasp. Allying with an existence so thoroughly toxic to the existence of humanity she could not.

"Did I not say you need no other answer?" Genjiro asked, "You are about to die, after all."

His form suddenly blurred. He was faster then she'd expected! She felt the air practically explode beside her as his palm thrust forward, piercing the air like a spear. It wasn't as devastating as an attack by a Servant, but it was enough that if she hadn't moved his hand would have pierced her chest as if it was nothing.

Even so, however, she had still been able to dodge it!

As swiftly as she could, Tsubaki began to attempt to recite the single-count chant that would enhance her physical capabilities further. She had applied basic reinforcement almost immediately upon noticing she had an enemy at all, faint blue-green lines appearing across her arms and legs, pushing her body beyond human limitations. Upon seeing just how monstrous Hirata Genjiro was, even if he wasn't on the level of a Servant, it was obvious that further reinforcement was only necessary. She had to put as much as she could into her defenses, her reflexes, every aspect of her body. She couldn't let this bastard kill her!

But even as she began to feel her circuits flaring with further activity, mana passed through her limbs, Genjiro suddenly spun in place, his leg catching her before she could retreat further. Even protectively slinging her arms across her body was hardly enough to negate the impact, the tanned girl able to feel pain explode through her arms from the sheer force of the man's swinging kick. Tsubaki let out a cry of shock and pain, the impact knocking her off her feet and sending her hurtling through the air, landing on her rear end and toppling backwards.

Before she could even begin to recover from the blow, or think about what had just happened, Genjiro was already upon her. He raised one foot up, ready to slam it down on her and stomp her as hard as he possibly could! Eyes wide, Tsubaki swiftly rolled out of the way. Genjiro's foot slammed down mere centimeters from her head, and as she got to her feet she could see the fact that he had cratered the asphalt of the street with his foot. There was no ignoring it, Genjiro had managed to enhance his body to a monstrous level!

With that level of enhancement, she couldn't let even a single direct hit through. She could deflect the damage if she blocked, her reinforced arms having taken the blow with pain but no real damage. But if he landed a direct hit to her body, to her chest or abdomen, she couldn't expect to get off so easily. Taking a deep breath, Tsubaki leapt to her feet and was then immediately forced to duck, a fist sailing over her head. She hadn't even been able to answer back, Genjiro's attack was completely relentless! It was all Tsubaki could do to keep him from hitting her!

Immediately as she ducked under his fist, his knee snapped up with enough force to pulverize skulls. Even though it missed, she could feel the sheer air pressure. She could already tell, the incredibly aggressive fighting style exhibited by Genjiro was designed not to let an opponent get a single strike in between his blows. It was a manner of fighting based on absolutely overwhelming the opponent, the spirit of each attack being to utterly destroy. She hadn't honestly expected another one of the magi in the Holy Grail War to be this adept at hand to hand!

But if she could simply gain some distance on him, then she could try and counter with her magecraft! If nothing else, it would force him to stop attacking so relentlessly and start defending himself! If she could gain that advantage, she would be able to press it harder. No matter how she felt about anything else right now, Tsubaki at least had confidence in her magecraft that was difficult to shake no matter how much she felt she had failed at everything else.

But in order to get that distance, she'd have to make an opening herself.

The black haired girl backpedaled, and Genjiro almost immediately followed. She had to give herself just enough time, so that she could do something instantly. An actionless spell afforded by the fact that she was utilizing something that had already stored mana inside of it…!

Her hand snapped into her bag, grasping one of the air capsules she had prepared. A single word was all she needed…!

She hurled it towards the ground between them.

"Ignite!"

It was a common single-word command for something like this. Even though fire wasn't involved, nothing was actually being ignited, it certainly got the idea across.

The capsule flashed white for a moment, and then split completely in half as it hit the ground. Immediately an enormous rush of air exploded out of it, slamming into the bodies of both combatants, and sending the two of them hurtling away from one another! Having already prepared herself, Tsubaki landed on her feet, her shoes skidding across the street for a moment before she straightened, raising her fists and taking a deep breath.

Genjiro was not so prepared, landing awkwardly and forced to use one of his hands to catch himself. This was her opening!

"Air, condense, collapse, crush!" Tsubaki declared, the air itself almost seeming to become visible as it contorted itself into a tiny space ahead of her. It was one of her most basic weapons, a spell that condensed air into a 'bullet' and then launched it at the target. But if it could hit…! "Fire!"

She pointed, and the bullet of air exploded forward, hurtling towards Hirata Genjiro! Just because it was simple didn't mean it wasn't powerful. If Tsubaki had to guess, a weakpoint of her opponent was when it came to speed. He'd defaulted to fists immediately even when he had the drop on her, which meant that perhaps his magecraft was ill-suited to direct combat.

But suddenly, her air bullet veered wildly off-course! It twisted away from its target at the last possible moment, tearing downwards and drilling its way into the street, making a perfect hole in the asphalt. Just what had happened!? Tsubaki's aim had been perfect… she'd failed plenty recently, but she had confidence that she'd correctly cast the spell and targeted Genjiro. There was no reason it should have suddenly diverted from its course!

Tsubaki stepped back, trying to understand what had just occurred. Her air bullet had been aimed well enough that even if he had managed to evade it, it wouldn't have been by that much. And of course, he hadn't even moved! He also hadn't appeared to have cast any kind of spell himself… Did that mean he had some kind of automatic defense that had diverted the current? A mobile bounded field seemed unlikely given how incredibly difficult creating such a thing would have been, especially so quickly, but if he had some method of interfering with air currents… That could have been the way he was able to divert her bullet! Which meant that she'd likely need a stronger method of ranged attack to be able to overwhelm it!

But that meant figuring out just how he had been doing it as well. As Genjiro rose, preparing himself to move in and attack once more, Tsubaki took another step back and reached into her bag once more. If he was the one responsible for the explosion when all the Masters had met outside of Harazuki Forest, then it was likely he had possessed some kind of magecraft that related to the manipulation of heat, which had allowed him to make the explosion in the first place. A barrier of heated air could explain how he had been able to divert the bullet from its course, but it was difficult to confirm if that was the case from this range…

But letting Hirata Genjiro get in close to her once more was potentially lethal. His hand to hand assault was relentless, so she had to keep some distance… if his barrier was heated air, there was no question in her mind that she'd be able to overwhelm it with a stronger spell! Even if she had to use another one of her capsules to fuel it in order to cast the spell instantly rather then give Genjiro a chance to close in and attack her, Tsubaki would still do whatever she could in order to defeat him! The madman, the bastard who had allied himself with Avenger, who had used the actions of her father to further his own plans…!

The air warped directly in front of Tsubaki as she pulled one of her capsules from her bag, and suddenly ignited.

Tsubaki realized why Genjiro hadn't attacked immediately. He'd been casting his own spell in response to her air bullet! Damn it, she'd been so caught up in trying to figure out how his defense worked that she hadn't planned a proper response to an attack like this. Frantically, she flung her capsule into the air and ignited it before defensively throwing her arms across herself. In a flash of light, just like the first, it split before exploding into a rush of air just as Genjiro's spell exploded! The force of the blast was disrupted by Tsubaki's quick thinking, but even one of her air capsules wasn't enough to completely negate an explosion. The force of both the blast of air and the explosion propelled Tsubaki backwards with a gasp, feeling searing pain blaze up her arms and legs as she hit the ground. She'd failed at this, too… and all this time she thought at least she was the superior magus of the two. Even if she was, she hadn't anticipated the way in which he would utilize his own magecraft.

It was her first real battle between magi, after all.

Was it going to be her last? Her arms and legs were blazing with sharp stabbing sensations, and she was certain she was bleeding. The explosion, even if Tsubaki had diverted it, had still been strong enough to knock her off her feet and injure her… If she'd had just a little more time, she may have been able to counter the explosion as it was being formed by manipulating the air. But it was too late for thoughts like that, Tsubaki was struggling to rise to her feet… and she could see Genjiro closing in on her.

"Another dead for the salvation of humanity," he said, simply, raising his hand quickly. Even now, even now… Tsubaki's eyes were blazing with defiance and anger as her hand slowly made its way towards her bag. How dare he think of her like that, even now…! She… she wasn't done yet…!

"I… won't…!"

She reached into her bag, weakly, but he paused before kicking it away. Damn it… He'd noticed… she had do something. She couldn't let it be her last battle, she couldn't let him kill her… she couldn't… she couldn't…!

Moments before Hirata Genjiro's hand came down, he suddenly stopped again. With a grimace, he turned and immediately ran, disappearing into the night just as quickly as he had appeared. Confused, pain still blazing up her arms and legs, Tsubaki fell onto her back. Why had he fled? It wasn't as if she wasn't thankful, but he had been about to win… what had made him run away like that without another word?

Her question was answered moments later.

"Inoue-san?!"

Was that… Ai's voice? But where had she come from? A shadow fell across her, and as Tsubaki struggled to rise again she realized that it was the silvery-haired Saber-class Servant. Ai and Saber had come? But why? Didn't the brunette girl still hate her? What reason would she have had for coming to rescue her, knowing her father had murdered Ai's parents?

"Ai… Ai-san? Why…" she winced as she tried to rise further, able to take stock of her injuries now. The blast had caused fragments of the street to cut into her arms and legs, and the heat had burned her as well. Not as badly as would have been the case if she hadn't been able to defend herself… but it was agonizing to move very much…

"Ai, she's hurt!" Saber called to her Master, looking back over her shoulder towards the approaching girl. Indeed, there was the diminutive brunette magus, sprinting as quickly as she could towards Tsubaki.

But… why? Why had Ai come to her rescue, after what had happened?

"Ah… it's bad but… nothing's b-broken," the brunette stammered as she knelt beside Tsubaki, looking over her arms and legs as she did. "I can definitely heal this… sit still, Inoue-san!"

For a few moments, Tsubaki couldn't understand why it was that Ai was healing her. Shouldn't the small brunette magus still have hated her? The child of the man who had murdered her mother and father… And yet Ai was doing this all without question. She'd never expected their reunion to be like this, as a warmth spread through her limbs, as if somehow she was being submerged in a pleasantly-heated bath. Before her eyes, her injuries were being knitted back together, the gashes and burns slowly fading as her flesh mended itself slowly. As she was being healed, Saber straightened, looking vigilant as she looked up and down the street, silver-gold eyes on the lookout for anything unusual.

Moments later, another familiar figure arrived. It was Rani, looking just the same as usual, though she too seemed to be carefully looking down the street for any sign of an attacker. Was that why Ai was helping, just because they'd have to work together? No… she looked genuinely as if she cared…

"… Matsushita, why…?" asked Tsubaki, as she stared up at Ai, trembling as her injuries mended themselves steadily.

"… I… no matter what your father did…" Ai began, smiling weakly, "You're not at fault, Inoue-san. Souji-chan helped me understand that. I… I don't want to hate you, so… so we'll team up again!"

Ai didn't hate her…

Even though she had hidden the truth, and everything else… Ai still didn't hate her. Thinking back on everything that happened, Tsubaki could feel the tears beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes.

"I-Inoue-san…?"

Tsubaki couldn't help but begin crying.

* * *

So this… this was the location in which the Holy Grail Would descend.

Lancer had been here, before, when Tsubaki was still her Master. When they had first encountered Caster's undead. The parking complex near the apartments didn't seem like a particularly impressive location before, and it still didn't now.

Tsubaki…

For a few moments, the blackened Servant was given pause. Even now, with her darkened nature, her entire existence painted with All the Evils of the World… Lancer hoped that Tsubaki would simply remain safe, to leave the war entirely. But for the moment, the chief matters on her mind were Avenger's plans.

One of the Shadow Servants, Caster, was dead. She had barely been existent, a mere shade of the power of the Heroic Spirit. According to Avenger, this was because that heroic spirit had been immediately aware of the nature of the summoning and refused to appear, allowing her to capture only a fragment of that existence. The result was essentially an automaton in the shape of a Servant, something that could only dully follow orders without any thought of its own.

Her death had been a setback, but not entirely unexpected. As of now, Avenger's plan was simple. The claim this location, the place where the Holy Grail would descend, as her own base of operations, to use her remaining Shadow Servants to guard it. Lancer would take the foremost position in ensuring it was guarded, as she was a proper Servant capable of utilizing the full range of her abilities rather then a shade who was more or less a phantom rather than anything else. No, less than a phantom, a phantom would still have some semblance of a mind. This was something more comparable to a mindless ghost, a poltergeist phenomena given a form and shape. Nothing more, and nothing less.

There were only two Shadow Servants would could be said to properly possess an ego. That was Assassin, and Berserker. The both of them seemed to have either not cared, or been fooled by Avenger's summons, resulting in near complete Servants. Assassin in particular was an important part of Avenger's plan for revenge. She intended for him to remove the Church's Overseer. At one point, before being blackened, Lancer would have been wholeheartedly opposed to such a move. But now… The Overseer wasn't particularly good as a nun, anyway, and she posed a threat…

She posed a threat to the girl who was bleeding away everything.

It wasn't simply due to the influence of the mud, though Lancer was capable of understanding that it was the reason that she had begun to work as Avenger's Servant, that had caused her to become sympathetic to Pandora. No…

It was the fact that Avenger was someone who was deeply and utterly broken. Her attitude, flipping from near emotionlessness to a manic state of intermixed hatred and excitement, seemed to hide this to most others, but the link between Lancer and Avenger that had been forged… it was impossible not to notice.

Avenger's very psyche was terribly broken. Her obsession with vengeance against gods who were no longer present in this world, it was clear that the experience of having been used by the deities of Ancient Greece to unleash the contents of the box had shattered her utterly, and what remained had been stuck back together with hatred.

It was no wonder that Pandora could qualify for Avenger, her entire existence was painted with vengeance. She was utterly suited for such a class.

Lancer had no idea if Pandora's plan would achieve victory or not. She wasn't certain if the Holy Grail would function in the manner that she desired. But now… in this blackened state herself, she would do what she required. She would serve as one of the parking complex's guardians, in order to give Pandora time to complete her plan. Nothing more, but nothing less as well.

This would be the battlefield where she found her final victory, or she died. As long as it was against Saber, that was something that she would accept. She would not allow for any other outcome, she desired that final duel with the girl samurai even after her corruption.

Even if the Shadow Servants attempted to get in her way, she would not allow it. She and she alone would be Saber's final enemy in the Holy Grail War, for better or worse. After that point, whatever the outcome was, she simply hoped that it would help Avenger find some kind of peace in her heart. Even the words that Avenger had given to her as a promise, that she would be united with the one she loved… was that really true? Lancer was no longer sure it mattered. Indeed, it would have been her wish for the Grail, had she still been with… Tsubaki… had she claimed victory with her. But In a way, she had mainly intended to use it as an excuse. Her true goal in the Holy Grail War was to serve a Master, honorably, as the Knight of the White Plume.

A crooked smirk suddenly crossed the girl's lips.

It was more like the Black Plume, now, wasn't it? Yes… The Black Plume that told of slaughter and death, killing anyone who stood in her way. She had no regrets for slaughtering the wounded Archer. Even… even Tsubaki, if she did attempt to fight… she'd kill her. If she had to. If she had no other choice.

But only then.

The black knight's armor clanked as she approached the edge of the current level of the parking complex, looking out over the city of Minami. Shadow Assassin would be preparing for his attack on the Church's Overseer soon enough, to prevent any potential interference by an outside organization in Avenger's plan before it could be properly executed. Given the extent of Avenger's power, if the Church did suddenly attack she wasn't certain if it would have mattered, but it seemed that her new Master did not enjoy the prospect of her vengeance being delayed. So, she would cut off any warning they could receive at its very root. Even if they did recognize that the Overseer was gone, it would take longer for them to do so then to receive a warning from her.

And time was a most important resource.

But in the end, Lancer had no love for Shadow Assassin. He was a manslayer with no honor, insofar as she could tell, and if he succeeded or failed she cared little. The two things that mattered most to her now were Saber and Pandora herself. Though… perhaps Tsubaki did constitute a third…

Regardless, she would stand and wait. For the moment where she would encounter the final foe that she desired. Just as Avenger had told her to serve as this location's guardian, she would do so. Anticipating the arrival of the enemy she desired to face.

At this point, she felt it was an inevitability. What else would Saber do, other than come here? The only remaining Servant in the Holy Grail War, the location in which the Grail itself would descend… she would inevitably get her final duel.

The thought made Lancer's crooked smirk grow into a grin.

"Lancer."

That was Avenger's voice…

The knight turned. Indeed, as she suspected, there stood the pale woman. She was beautiful, and yet there was something unnatural about her. Just as she had appeared in those first moments before their battle.

"The preparations will soon be completed," continued Pandora. For the moment, her voice was once again flat and without inflection. She was calm. "I can feel it. The Grail will soon descend. The wish-granting device will serve as the fuel for my revenge against the gods."

Lancer nodded. In the very depths of her blackened heart, she wasn't sure if she truly desired for Avenger's success. No, perhaps she did not. But what she did wish for was something that would at least put Avenger at ease… and resisting her plan would do no such thing. And so, regardless of her personal feelings, she would support Pandora until the end.

"I see, Master," responded Lancer, with a nod of her head, "Do you wish for me to do anything else, or am I to remain here as this building's guardian?"

"The remaining Servant will undeniably come here," Avenger replied, with a wave of her hand, "Drawn by the grail or by some misguided desire to stop me. As a result, she will undeniably encounter my guardians."

Lancer nodded. This was the exact outcome she saw occurring herself. Indeed, it was exactly what the black knight was counting on.

"And so I am to remain here?" she asked.

"Of course, Lancer," the white-haired woman cocked her head to the side slowly. "You are the one who stands closest to me. The one I can place my deepest trust in. And so, I wish for you to remain closest to me until I can complete my revenge."

It was clear to Lancer that Avenger had no plans for what would occur after her vengeance, truthfully. Her entire being was dedicated to the purposes of vengeance, and anything beyond that had simply never occurred to her. There was absolutely no idea in Pandora's mind that related to anything beyond taking revenge on the gods of Greece. But… that didn't mean she would ever betray her. A broken girl like Pandora simply couldn't be betrayed.

It was due to the blackening caused by that mud that Lancer was able to overlook everything else.

"As you wish, Master," Lancer said, bowing her head slightly as she spoke.

A few moments later, Avenger vanished, darkness consuming her as she seemed to simply fade away entirely. With that, Lancer turned away and looked out at the city once more. Yes… it was coming soon, wasn't it? The descent of the Holy Grail, the success or failure of Avenger's plan, her final duel with Saber… It was rushing towards them with every moment. The very thought of beginning the final battle was cycling in Lancer's mind over and over again.

She couldn't help it. That crooked grin was returning.

She'd have the final battle that she desired.


	17. Chapter 17

Rani IV opened her eyes.

The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was Avenger's face. She sat up, quickly, wide-eyed, looking around. But this was not the test chamber in the Atlas base in Minami. There were no bodies, nor the smell of burning flesh, nor that terrible black mud. There was not a single sign of that destruction that had been unleashed when Avenger had been summoned. Instead, undeniably, this was her room back in one of Atlas's larger facilities, prior to her arrival in Japan. For a few moments, she looked around in confusion. But… there was no ignoring it. This absolutely was her living quarters. There wasn't much in them, aside from the occasional piece of equipment and a few other minor items. There were even the adjoining doors, connecting her room with Rani III and Rani V's rooms. Through them, she was also able to quickly contact Rani I and Rani II, as well. But it didn't make any sense.

She was just in Japan, wasn't she? She was just facing the result of their mistake, Pandora summoned into the class container of Avenger instead of Caster. And yet… now she was in bed, back at her home? None of it made even the slightest amount of sense to the dark-skinned homunculus.

Now having confirmed where she was, Rani IV raised her right hand. Bare, smooth skin, unmarked by the angular shape of her command seals. But how could that be? Seals could not be removed unless they were all utilized, or the Servant was destroyed. Did that mean that Avenger had been destroyed? But how? She couldn't remember anything after first meeting her in that chamber… But certainly, it seemed like she was now back in her room. Had she been recovered? But then why would she be alone in her room, rather than in a secure location? It would have made sense to place her somewhere where any medical attention required could be granted, and they could make any necessary repairs…

No, Rani couldn't accept this. Something strange had to be going on. She was going to speak to Rani V immediately.

Rising to her feet, getting out of bed quickly, Rani made her way to her fellow homunculus's room. She'd figure out what was happening right here and now!

She opened the door…

Rani IV opened her eyes.

The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was Avenger's face. She sat up, quickly, wide-eyed, looking around. But this was not the test chamber in the Atlas base in Minami. There were no bodies, nor the smell of burning flesh, nor that terrible black mud. There was not a single sign of that destruction that had been unleashed when Avenger had been summoned. Instead, undeniably, this was her room back in one of Atlas's larger facilities, prior to her arrival in Japan. For a few moments, she looked around in confusion. But… there was no ignoring it. This absolutely was her living quarters. There wasn't much in them, aside from the occasional piece of equipment and a few other minor items. There were even the adjoining doors, connecting her room with Rani III and Rani V's rooms. Through them, she was also able to quickly contact Rani I and Rani II, as well. But it didn't make any sense.

She was just in Japan, wasn't she? She was just facing the result of their mistake, Pandora summoned into the class container of Avenger instead of Caster. And yet… now she was in bed, back at her home? None of it made even the slightest amount of sense to the dark-skinned homunculus.

Now having confirmed where she was, Rani IV raised her right hand. Bare, smooth skin, unmarked by the angular shape of her command seals. But how could that be? Seals could not be removed unless they were all utilized, or the Servant was destroyed. Did that mean that Avenger had been destroyed? But how? She couldn't remember anything after first meeting her in that chamber… But certainly, it seemed like she was now back in her room. Had she been recovered? But then why would she be alone in her room, rather than in a secure location? It would have made sense to place her somewhere where any medical attention required could be granted, and they could make any necessary repairs…

No, Rani couldn't accept this. Something strange had to be going on. She was going to speak to Rani V immediately.

Rising to her feet, getting out of bed quickly, Rani made her way to her fellow homunculus's room. She'd figure out what was happening right here and now!

She opened the door…

Rani IV opened her eyes.

The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was Avenger's face. She sat up, quickly, wide-eyed, looking around. But this was not the test chamber in the Atlas base in Minami. There were no bodies, nor the smell of burning flesh, nor that terrible black mud. There was not a single sign of that destruction that had been unleashed when Avenger had been summoned. Instead, undeniably, this was her room back in one of Atlas's larger facilities, prior to her arrival in Japan. For a few moments, she looked around in confusion. But… there was no ignoring it. This absolutely was her living quarters. There wasn't much in them, aside from the occasional piece of equipment and a few other minor items. There were even the adjoining doors, connecting her room with Rani III and Rani V's rooms. Through them, she was also able to quickly contact Rani I and Rani II, as well. But it didn't make any sense.

She was just in Japan, wasn't she? She was just facing the result of their mistake, Pandora summoned into the class container of Avenger instead of Caster. And yet… now she was in bed, back at her home? None of it made even the slightest amount of sense to the dark-skinned homunculus.

Now having confirmed where she was, Rani IV raised her right hand. Bare, smooth skin, unmarked by the angular shape of her command seals. But how could that be? Seals could not be removed unless they were all utilized, or the Servant was destroyed. Did that mean that Avenger had been destroyed? But how? She couldn't remember anything after first meeting her in that chamber… But certainly, it seemed like she was now back in her room. Had she been recovered? But then why would she be alone in her room, rather than in a secure location? It would have made sense to place her somewhere where any medical attention required could be granted, and they could make any necessary repairs…

No, Rani couldn't accept this. Something strange had to be going on. She was going to speak to Rani V immediately.

Rising to her feet, getting out of bed quickly, Rani made her way to her fellow homunculus's room. She'd figure out what was happening right here and now!

She opened the door…

Rani IV opened her eyes.

* * *

An anti-world Noble Phantasm capable of attacking all of humanity…

Those words had been echoing in Ai's head ever since she had heard them the previous night. In a way, no matter how frightening it was to learn such a thing, she supposed it only made sense. The fact was that Pandora's box was something that had effected the entire world when it was opened in myth, it only made sense that its target would be the world itself if it was used now. If that was the case, though…

Why hadn't Pandora already mounted her attack, if she was already bent on revenge? There had to be some reason… Rani speculated that her Master was unable to support it. Therefore, if Pandora had utilized the box's strongest attack, she would run out of mana and disappear after consuming everything that her Master had. Which was why she needed the Grail in the first place, to use it as a battery of sorts in order to fuel the world-consuming attack that formed the backbone of her revenge.

To this end, the Holy Grail War was no longer about capturing the Holy Grail for the use of the participants, for the sake of the organization that had raised her. Now, it became a battle to preserve the future of humanity.

"Matsushita?"

Ah? The sudden interjection of a small voice cut into Ai's thoughts suddenly, and she shook her head to clear her mind. It was Alys.

"You were wandering around with this kind of glazed look on your face… I got really worried!" declared the white-haired girl. At this point, her maids had arrived as well, and were helping to supplement Marianne and Charlotte's work. Which was… probably a good thing, really, given how many people were now staying in her home.

"Um, no, I was just thinking, Alys-chan," she asserted, "I'm fine, really!"

The little white-haired girl frowned slightly.

"Was it about Avenger? Rani V told me about her. If she's Pandora, there's no doubt she's really dangerous," she said, with a nod.

For a brief moment, Ai questions to herself why Rani would tell Alys, a little girl, about something like that. But then she recalled just who Alys really was. A homunculus of the Einzbern family. One of the original founding families of the Holy Grail War. If there was anyone who might have further information on how Avenger intended to use the Holy Grail, it wasn't as if Alysvial von Einzbern was a bad candidate.

"There's no doubt that her identity is Pandora," replied Ai, "She said so herself, and even if she hadn't that box gushing forth black mud made it obvious enough."

"If she wants to get the Holy Grail, um… she probably wants to use it like a battery! It might be a fake Holy Grail, but I think she can probably still use it that way," Alys continued. This was something Rani and Ai had already guessed at, but it wasn't as if a confirmation was anything bad.

"I think she needs a battery because if she didn't, um… Avenger is probably using the box as the source of her mana," Alys added, "So since it's constantly sustaining her, her Master is probably just her link to the world."

Ai paused for a moment. That… did make sense, Avenger and her Noble Phantasm were heavily intertwined with one another. No-one could talk about Pandora without talking about Pandora's Box. Indeed, it could almost be said that the box itself was just as much the star of Pandora's myth as Pandora herself. Perhaps moreso.

"So, maybe if Avenger uses her Box's abilities as an anti-world Noble Phantasm, it stops sustaining her?" Alys concluded. "The mana that normally keeps her present in this world can't be used by her anymore, so she rapidly consumes her Master's mana and then fades away after using it all."

If that was the case… then the reason that Avenger needed the Holy Grail was as a substitute for Pandora's Box, or for her Master. Either way, it would sustain her or the box itself with unlimited mana, allowing her attack on all of humanity to go on completely uninhibited…

"S-so… so she'll use it as a limitless source of mana to just keep her attack going forever, then… or at least until she's decided that her revenge is finished," Ai mused aloud. To be honest, even with her own brief interaction with Pandora she felt as if it was unlikely that someone like that would ever feel as if her revenge was finished. She was Avenger, after all…

Ai hesitated for a moment. There was something else she wanted to ask Alys about… she really did seem like she knew a lot about the Holy Grail War and Servants, in spite of being so childish before, so…

"… Did… did she tell you about Lancer?" asked the small brunette, "Do… do you think there's any way we can save her?"

For several long moments, that seemed to take forever, the Einzbern girl was silent.

"… I don't know," she said, finally, averting her crimson eyes as she spoke, "Um… I don't know anything about a situation like this! I've never heard of another Servant making a Servant into their own, or using evil mud to do it…"

The little girl shifted quietly.

"I'm sorry… I wanted to help as much as I could…" Alys said, her shoulders sagging as she spoke, "But I don't know anything about that at all. I know lots about the Holy Grail War, but if something like that ever happened before I was never told about it…"

So not even Alysvial knew anything about it… but they had to try and figure out some way to save Lancer, didn't they? It was just so… so wrong that she had been twisted into Avenger's servant. Ai knew Saber felt the same way, and the way that Tsubaki felt was obvious… So…

There had to be some way to save her, didn't there?

"… It's okay, Alys-chan," said Ai, reaching out to pat the little girl on the head. "You've been very helpful, either way."

"Even so…" the Einzbern girl paused for a moment, as if thinking something over, then suddenly turned to leave. "If… if you need anything, be sure to tell me, Matsushita! Saber can, too!"

She hurried down the hallway.

"It's not just Berserker who was strong!"

Watching her leave, Ai took a deep breath. She couldn't see herself asking Alys for help. Not only because she was a child, who had been in enough danger already, but because she didn't know where to start herself. It was terrifying, much more so then the idea of the Holy Grail War itself had been. They were going to fight someone who wanted to mount an attack on the entire human race for the sake of their vengeance. A Servant who had summoned her own Servants to compose a fighting force capable of defending her… who had taken Lancer away from Tsubaki…

How did they even begin?

And yet… Ai took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. They didn't have a plan yet, but… but… they had to think of something, didn't they? No matter how frightened Ai was, this wasn't something she was undertaking just out of obligation. It was the right thing to do. It was for the sake of every single person in the world.

She couldn't allow herself to falter now. The brunette magus knew that this was the time where she had to hold her head high, and act in whatever way necessary to stop Avenger's plan for her revenge.

She just didn't know how.

Rani had wanted to bring together as many of the remaining Masters as possible, but at this point it seemed unlikely that they would be able to quickly get into contact with Shimada Yukiko, and the Atlas homunculus had been adamant that time was of the essence. With most of the original Servants participating in the war dead, the Holy Grail Would be descending any day now. In fact, it was most likely it would descend in less then a day's time. From the very moment it appeared, whatever plan they decided on would be operating on borrowed time.

One of the first things Ai had done upon returning home was to send one of her familiars to get into contact with the overseer as soon as possible. It felt like the best course of action at the time. Estrizia was here to monitor the Holy Grail War, so when something as disastrous as this had occurred in only made sense to make her aware and attempt to seek her assistance.

If nothing else, Ai had felt certain of that.

Aside from that… she was hoping to just get a chance to talk everything over. To compose a plan of attack. Rani intended to, but…

Tsubaki still didn't know just what had happened to Lancer. And Ai still wasn't sure how to tell her. It was bad enough that she had lost her Servant, but knowledge of what had truly happened to her…

"Ai!"

The short girl turned towards the source of the voice. It was Saber.

"Oh, Souji-chan…" she half-murmured, as the silvery-haired girl approached her in the hall. "How are you feeling…?"

"I'm great!" declared the samurai girl, thrusting one fist into the air as she spoke. That made Ai relax, a little. Not just because Okita Souji's boundless optimism never failed to brighten her mood at least somewhat, but also because it let her know that there were no lingering effects from the activation of her Weak Constitution skill. "I should be just fine from now on!"

"A-are you sure?" Ai found herself blurting out almost immediately, "I don't… I don't want to see something like that happen to you again, Souji…"

It had been horrible, seeing her swift and agile Saber suddenly weaken and be unable to move, suffering multiple injuries because of something like that… If it happened again, now, would she be able to recover in time? The only reason she hadn't been killed by Avenger outside of the park was because… was because even corrupted, Lancer still wanted to meet her in one last battle. But if she hadn't been there…

"I'm sure I'll be fine!" declared Saber, brightly, "I wish I didn't have a skill like that, but since I was summoned in Japan, the air is nice and clean for me! I can breathe pretty easily."

That was promising, at least. The fact that the Grail War took place in Japan gave Souji certain advantages she wouldn't have elsewhere, and one of them was the reduction of the possibility of the skill's activation. But still, Ai couldn't help but worry about it. If, by any chance, it did activate again…

Ai took a deep breath to try and stop herself from focusing on that. She had to look ahead to the future, to whatever path they could use to win, right? That's what Souji would tell her. So it was something she had to keep in mind.

"I'm glad…" responded Ai, before taking a deep breath, "Rani-san wanted to start working on a plan. Um, to stop Avenger, so… so we should…"

"We should get everyone together to talk?" asked her Servant, with a nod of her head, her ponytail bobbing. "I thought so, too. Rani V-san doesn't seem like the assertive type, so she hadn't called everyone to a meeting yet."

Even if she had been assigned to recovering Rani IV, Rani V didn't really seem like the type to lead anything. Not that Ai herself was, either.

But another important topic now drifted to the forefront of the diminutive magus's mind.

"… Have you seen Inoue-san?" Ai asked, "How is she doing? Um… I just…"

Souji's shoulders sagged slightly, and her smile faltered before fading entirely.

"She's spent most of her time in the guest room," responded the platinum blonde swordswoman, somewhat morosely, "I was worried about how to tell her about Lancer… I don't think she knows just what happened, yet."

Ai grimaced. Losing your Servant was bad enough, but having her taken away, corrupted, twisted to serve your enemy… Ai couldn't even find herself imagining it happening to Saber. She had no idea what she would do if it did. Souji wasn't simply her Servant, after all, but the one she loved as well. For a few moments, all the small brunette girl could do was stand there as these frightful thoughts played repeatedly in her mind over and over, every fear suddenly brought sharply to the forefront once more, even as she attempted to dispel them.

It was Souji's voice that brought her back to reality.

"Ai," the girl samurai began, taking one of Ai's small hands into her own, "I'm not about to go anywhere, okay? I'll stand by your side forever! But we can't just leave Inoue-san hanging. She has to know."

Slowly, Ai nodded. She knew that, in the end, it was for Tsubaki's benefit. If it was left a mystery, and then she suddenly encountered Lancer in her corrupted state, then the shock could completely cripple her. Her grip tightened on Saber's hand, as she shifted quietly, averting her eyes. Just holding her Servant's hand, feeling her warmth… it was reassuring.

"I know, Souji," responded Ai, taking a deep breath as she did, "B-but… I don't know how to tell her something like this. I… just seeing Lancer like that…"

She took a deep breath to calm herself. No. She had to move forward with a clear mind. For Tsubaki's sake, and for everyone else's as well. She couldn't allow herself to become frightened. She had to move past that, just as Saber had told her before.

"Losing her Servant that way has to have been painful," she said, "I can't imagine how it would feel to see you like that Souji…"

Even as she tried to keep her mind moving forward, it was difficult not for the terrible possibility to linger within her mind.

"I won't let it happen," asserted Souji, her smile returning, "Avenger probably played some dirty trick and caught Lancer off-guard, but now we're ready for her, right?"

Her smile vanished once more.

"But that doesn't make it any less difficult to tell Inoue-san, does it?" she asked, averting her silvery gaze slightly as she did. "Knowing we're ready for Avenger doesn't cure Lancer and bring her back. Swordplay came so easily to me, but things like this never did."

Souji laughed awkwardly, but there was no humor to it, her shoulders sagging.

But then, suddenly, the girl samurai brightened.

"But we won't quit, right? If there's any way to save Lancer, we'll find it!" she declared. Any way… Ai nodded, too. Even if she wasn't sure there was any way to even understand just what had happened to the knight, if there was a single solitary method that could be used to cleanse her and free her of Avenger, Ai would do everything she could to locate it.

"… That's right, Saber," replied Ai, "If there's even a single possibility, we have to find it."

But was there?

Ai relaxed her shoulders and took another deep breath before she continued to speak.

"But we still have to let Inoue-san know…"

Finally, the short brunette came to a decision. She wouldn't make Saber try to do it… No, this was something that she would have to deal with first and foremost. After all, Inoue Tsubaki was the first person who had even spoken to her when she came back to Minami… and in spite of the actions of her father, she was someone who truly cared and desired to be Ai's friend. It felt only right to be the one who spoke to her about it in the first place.

"… Don't worry, Souji, I'll handle it," said Ai, finally, looking up at her Servant and nodding to herself as she did.

"… If you're sure, Ai," replied Souji, her grip on the smaller girl's hand tightening slightly as she spoke. She knew this was going to be difficult for everyone involved, but especially Tsubaki.

A few moments later, Ai had made her way to the guest room. It was one of several, the others being devoted to Rani and Alysvial's maids at the moment. For a moment, just a moment, Ai wondered how all those maids had seemingly packed themselves into a single room, but for now there were more important things to do.

After a moment of hesitation, she knocked on Tsubaki's door.

Initially, there was no response. Then, finally, she heard the other magus speak.

"Come in… Ai-san."

The door opened. Tsubaki was seated at the desk, leaning back in her chair as she sighed heavily, her eyes drifting towards the short brunette magus as she did.

"… There's part of me that's still in disbelief you even wanted to talk to me, after all that…" murmured the tanned girl, sitting up slightly as she did, "I really just broke down and cried right in front of you, didn't I?"

She gave Ai an awkward, half-hearted laugh, scratching the back of her head as she did.

"I made a mess of myself right in front of you, that sure is one way to have a reunion…" she leaned back in her seat once more, eyes drifting away and downwards towards the floor. "I… I'm glad you're okay."

Ai smiled as she entered the room, weakly. Tsubaki wasn't acting anything like the usual bright, cheerful girl that she'd gotten to know before… and she could hardly blame her.

… She was about to make it all worse, wasn't she…?

"I-Inoue-san, um…" Ai mumbled, shuffling her feet, before managing to compose herself. "It's… it's about Lancer, Inoue-san…"

Tsubaki looked towards her, silently. The look in her eyes…

"… I know, Ai-san," she began, "I know she's gone. There's no way I couldn't. I watched the command seals fade from the back of my hand right in front of my eyes. I know that I absolutely failed her. You don't need to tell me."

"…"

Ai hesitated. It was hard to get any words out in the face of that reaction, but… but Tsubaki had to know what had really happened to Lancer, didn't she? Before they could try and make any kind of plan, before anyone could do anything, it was only fair to Tsubaki to let her know. If she didn't know, and then she was suddenly confronted with the truth… it would tear her apart, wouldn't it?

"… I-it's… it's not only that, Inoue-san," murmured Ai, "There's… Avenger, she… Avenger… did something to Lancer, she's… something has gone wrong…"

Ai trailed off, uncertain of how to tell her. Dully, she thought that 'something has gone wrong' wasn't very specific at this point…

To her surprise, however, all Inoue did was nod, quietly.

"… I'd… already guessed, to be honest…" replied the black-haired magus, looking down towards her desk once more, "That black mud didn't seem as if it was just something that existed to destroy. It felt like it was evil itself. Like it was something that could taint a Servant down to their spiritual core."

Tsubaki's shoulders sagged.

"It wasn't enough to take her away, then?" she asked, as if addressing Pandora herself, "But you had to twist her into your servant, too?"

"Inoue-san…"

"I don't know what to do anymore, Ai-san," continued the tanned magus, despondently, "I've failed as a Master in the Holy Grail War in the worst way possible. It's like some kind of terrible joke that forgot it was supposed to be funny. The only thing I can do now is help bring all of this to an end. It's the one single way that I can repent for the failed Master I've become."

She sighed.

"But I don't even know how I can do that, do I?" she asked herself, leaning on the desk once more. Ai wished she could say something to the contrary, but it was true. There wasn't any sort of plan prepared. Aside from defeating Avenger and securing the Grail, they didn't really know what they were supposed to be doing. And time was ticking by faster and faster… The longer that they waited, the more likely it was that Avenger would obtain the Grail for herself.

"… You're right, we don't have a plan yet, and we need to think of something as soon as possible," Ai said, finally. "We don't have a lot of time, after all. But… Inoue-san…"

Ai clenched her fists. Inoue Tsubaki was someone who had welcomed her, who had helped her nearly from the start. Even knowing the painful past their families shared now… Ai had to return the favor, and she was going to do it now.

She wouldn't let herself remain by the sidelines while someone who truly was her friend wallowed in misery. She knew that Tsubaki wouldn't have done so, after all.

"… Inoue-san, Lancer wouldn't have wanted to see you like this," she began, stepping towards the taller girl, "No matter what's become of her now, the Lancer we both know was proud of the Master she served. You couldn't possibly have been prepared for Avenger. You were the sort of Master any Servant would be happy to have been summoned by."

Inoue didn't say anything, but the black-haired girl had shifted in her seat, quietly, to face Ai as she spoke.

"You aren't a failure as a magus, or as a Master in the Holy Grail War," the short brunette continued, "Every moment I spent with you, you were giving it your all. You were even the one who came up with the plan to defeat Rider. There's no way anyone could consider you anything like some kind of failure, Inoue-san. Lancer certainly wouldn't."

"I…" Tsubaki trailed off for a few moments, before averting her eyes, "… Even so, I lost her, didn't I…?"

"Would Lancer think of it like that, though?" asked Ai. She couldn't let Tsubaki keep sitting there. For her own good, for the sake of defeating Avenger… she wouldn't let her friend stay there feeling guilty. "She was a proud knight, proud of the way she could serve you. You didn't lose her, she fought for you as hard as she could. It wasn't because of you that Avenger took her."

"I… but… Ai-san, what am I supposed to do? Lancer asked me to run, and I did," Tsubaki said, clutching at her lap as she spoke, "And then Avenger took her away. How am I supposed to respond to this? What do I do?"

Ai hesitated. It was hard, hard to think of something specific, something she could tell Tsubaki. But she had to tell her something. There had to be something she could say to her friend. She looked back on everything Lancer had done since they first met. Since that first battle they had, between Saber and Lancer on that dark night, then when they became allies and fought together. Everything after that, every moment they spent working as a team…

"… If you really want to do something for Lancer, then… we need to figure out a plan, to defeat Avenger," Ai said, finally, "Then you can really do something that would have made her proud."

"…"

For several moments, Tsubaki said nothing. She sat silently in her chair, leaning on the desk. Then…

"… Make Lancer proud, huh?" she asked herself, straightening, "Taking out the bitch who did this to her in the first place… that really would make her proud, wouldn't it?"

She exhaled heavily.

"You're right, Ai-san," she continued, a small smile forming on her lips, "Sitting here knowing that I had to do something but unable to do it… that wasn't going to stop Avenger, and it wasn't going to do anything for Lancer, either. And, certainly, it wasn't the kind of thing Inoue Tsubaki would do, was it?"

Ah… she could hear it! Tsubaki was sounding like her old self again!

"That's right, Inoue-san!" responded Ai, a smile forming on her lips as well.

"Yeah!"

For a moment, both Ai and Tsubaki froze at the sound of a third voice, before realizing that Saber had suddenly burst into the room.

"… Ah… sorry, Ai-chan, I…" Souji trailed off for a moment, "I felt bad not trying to cheer Inoue-san up, so I couldn't just walk away, but I didn't know what to say, either."

"'Ai-chan'?" Tsubaki remarked, cocking her head to one side, her smile growing slightly, "Is there something the both of you would like to tell me?"

For several moments, Ai was silently, fumbling with herself over how to respond. She hadn't expected any of this, how could she reply so quickly?! Ah, she'd been so composed, able to help Tsubaki's mood a little, but now when she was suddenly faced with that question… It had immediately become difficult for her to say anything, let alone try and explain. She glanced towards Souji, and wasn't surprised to see that the platinum blonde samurai, too, had also gone quite red, certainly embarrassed at the idea of trying to answer Tsubaki's question.

"W-well…" she stammered, shifting from one foot to another. Tsubaki cocked her head to one side, and Saber looked away almost immediately.

"S-Saber and I… er…" Ai began, trembling slightly, "Um… we… we… we found love! W… with… um…"

She trailed off again. Of course, she wasn't ashamed from her relationship with her Servant. Far from it. But it wasn't exactly easy to discuss the fact that she was in love with Saber, so suddenly as well. Ai had never been in a relationship like this before, after all, and suddenly having to try and answer Tsubaki's question… it wasn't easy, to say the least.

It was like Inoue Tsubaki had sprung some kind of dastardly trap. Obviously, that wasn't the case, but that didn't mean that it didn't make replying all the more difficult.

"… W-with each other…" murmured Ai, finally, "S-Saber… Souji-chan is just… she's so beautiful and kind… even if she's a spirit from the past, sh-she's also a wonderful girl and just being near her, um, it's… lovely…"

"… Yeah… I… Ai-chan is… she's such a good Master and er… I-I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm doing my best!" declared Saber, insistently nodding to herself as she did. "I-I didn't really understand what I was feeling, at first, b-but Ai-chan helped me realize…"

Tsubaki chuckled, lightly. Seeing her laugh again… that was a good sign, too. Ai didn't believe Tsubaki would be fine just like that, but it could certainly be said that the taller of the two magus girls was behaving more like she always did. It was obvious to Ai, at least, that she'd managed to help a little bit.

"I'm glad, Ai-san, Saber," commented Tsubaki, though her smile seemed somewhat less strong than it had moments earlier, "It was pretty obvious to anyone who paid any attention, though."

"W-was it…?" Saber averted her eyes again. "Was I the only one who didn't know…?"

But the brief few moments of levity were cut short when Tsubaki spoke once more.

"So… this is the final stage of the Holy Grail War, then, isn't it …?" mused the dark-skinned magus, speaking mostly to herself before her attention turned once again fully to Ai. "Ai-san… I still don't really know what happens now. But I suppose that's why we're all here, then, isn't it?"

That was exactly right. Rani had gathered as many of the remaining participants at Ai's mansion as she could the moment that Ai had offered it, in order to construct a plan to assault Avenger. No matter how much Ai worried, she knew that this was something they had to get done as soon as they possibly could.

"It's not as if… as if I'm not frightened, but…" Ai took a deep breath, "Avenger has to be stopped."

Tsubaki nodded. For a few moments, whatever remnants of a smile there had been once more faded from her expression, and her gaze drifted back towards her desk. Looking concerned, Ai stepped forward, and Saber followed, but before either of them could speak, Tsubaki looked back up again.

Now, her expression was dead serious once more.

"There's no way we won't be fighting Lancer, then," she began, "… Before that… I…"

She hesitated for a moment. Her hands were clutching at her lap.

"… No matter what she's like, no matter what Avenger has done to her… I want to see her again," said Tsubaki. Her tone was quiet, with only a little inflection, but the words made it obvious just how the girl was feeling. "Just one more time."

Her faltering smile returned again.

"It's going to be my last chance to see her, no matter what happens," she continued, "So… so if I can get at least that much…"

If Ai had any say in the matter, it wasn't something she was going to deprive Tsubaki of. She didn't know if they could save Lancer. Even if they could, the end of the Grail War was approaching quickly. This truly could be the last time that Tsubaki would ever see her Servant. Even if she'd been corrupted by Avenger, the opportunity to see her one last time wasn't anything that Ai could ever deny to the other girl.

"… Of course, Inoue-san," replied Ai, "I… even if it's like this, you should be able to see her one more time before it's all over."

"No-one would ever want to deny you that… losing the chance to see someone you cared about before they're gone…" Saber trailed off for a moment, then shook her head, "And… if that's what it comes to, I'll give Lancer the duel she wanted from the very beginning."

"… Heh, even like this… there's no way she'd ever pass that chance up, is there?" mused Tsubaki, a weak, sad smile on her lips, "Even if she's been corrupted, as long as Lancer is still Lancer there's no way she could ever ignore that chance."

Her gaze drifted downwards, her smile still a very sad one.

"I can't decide if that makes it better or worse, really…" she added, morosely. "… But… I'm not going to let it stop us. We have to defeat Avenger, no matter what. If her goal really is revenge by attacking all of humanity, then we can't let anything slow us down anymore."

That was right. Now that Tsubaki was ready, they had to start the final step as soon as possible. They had to formulate a plan to defeat Avenger.

"So, there's no more time to waste," continued Tsubaki, getting to her feet. Her morose, sad smile had vanished now, replaced by the much more familiar, determined look that Ai had come to associate with the tanned magus. She placed her hands on her hips, and nodded to herself.

"I'm ready, Ai-san. Let's go."

With that, the three girls proceeded out of the room and down the stairs. It wasn't as if Tsubaki had been cheered up, exactly, but it was unlikely she truly would have been anyway. No, as long as she was feeling better, that was what Ai had hoped for.

Now she had to focus on keeping herself from getting too frightened. But as long as Souji was by her side… it felt like, just maybe, things would be alright. Or rather, they wouldn't get any worse. It was hard to say anything was alright when Avenger had taken Lancer, summoned her own set of Servants(albeit as shades) and set up base where the Grail would descend. But as long as they could prevent it from getting any worse… as long as she was with Saber…

Reaching out, she wrapped where small fingers around her Servant's hand. Souji glanced towards her, and gave her a small, reassuring smile, holding Ai's hand as the two proceeded down the stairs alongside Tsubaki.

Ostensibly, Rani had a guest room, but she had decided to spend much of her time in the dining hall, making preparations… or at least, that's what she said. Marianne and Charlotte had seemed quite pleased with all the guests, and with the additional help offered by Alysvial's maids, and the former was happily preparing snacks at regular intervals. But, given that Tsubaki was hardly feeling well before now, the one who was usually receiving these snacks was Rani. Who was always in the dining hall. The diminutive girl had been fed quite a few sweets, a steady stream of them from the kitchen, in fact. Certainly, it seemed like Marianne was enjoying having someone who seemed to nearly eat as much as Saber did.

… Nearly. No-one could top Souji's appetite for sweets, but Rani seemed to quite appreciate the snacks she was receiving, regardless. At the moment, she was seated at the desk, pouring over several stacked documents with a half-eaten cream puff sitting near her. When she noticed the three other girls entering the room, she straightened.

"Matsushita, Inoue, Saber," the dark-skinned, childlike girl greeted the three of them, with a nod of her head, "Excellent. I was hoping to begin preparations soon."

The girl rose to her feet.

"The likely location of the Grail's descent is the parking garage outside of the Minami apartments," she stated, "Familiars dispatched by Atlas have determined that there had been increased activity in that location. Therefore, that is likely where Avenger has made her workshop."

Workshop…? Avenger could also qualify as Caster, as Rani had mentioned, and there was no reason her capabilities as a mage would be diminished in her current class. It wasn't as if someone who could be summoned as Caster was summoned as Rider, or something of that nature. No, Avenger as a class was defined by hatred rather than a weapon or technique. So if her chief capabilities were in magecraft, it stood to reason she would retain them. Hatred alone, at least in most cases, was not enough to create a strong combatant.

"If she's created a workshop, does that mean that she's set up defenses? She's a magus from the Age of Gods…" Tsubaki's question reminded Ai of the original Caster in this Holy Grail War, Skuld. She, too, originated from the Age of Gods, and she was an incredibly formidable opponent. If Pandora had created a workshop, a territory of her own, could she have bolstered herself as well?

Rani was silent for a moment as she considered the possibility.

"Skuld had a Noble Phantasm that gave her the same advantages she'd have if she was summoned in her homeland," Saber chimed in, "Does Avenger have something like that, too?"

At that remark, the Atlas Agent shook her head.

"I do not believe so," she responded, "Avenger's Noble Phantasm is Pandora's Box, the very symbol of her existence. I find it unlikely any other aspect of her myth would meet the same qualifications. A workshop generated by Pandora would be based purely off of the artifice of her magecraft, and therefore likely not provide the same benefits that Caster's bounded field."

That was a relief to learn, at least. Avenger had already seemed strong, so being able to enhance herself with something like that would have been terrifying. It was bad enough if she already had so many allies under her control and a base of operations, they didn't need her empowering herself even further, if they could help it.

Ai took a deep breath.

"Then… what can we expect from her?" she asked.

"Pandora's box contains a black mud that is the embodiment of All the Evils of the World," Rani started, "This is her most dangerous asset. The mud is the physical incarnation of a myriad of curses and hatred, strong enough to burn away at any living thing it touches. As demonstrated by Avenger's attack on Lancer, Servants who are effected by this mud become blackened and twisted into a dark reflection of themselves."

Ai glanced towards Tsubaki. She could see the other girl's determined expression falter for a moment when Rani mentioned Lancer's fate, but the magus didn't say anything.

"On top of that, she seems to have used the box as some sort of false Grail," continued Rani, "Allowing her to summon heroic spirits. However, they do not appear to be true Servants. It is a sort of half-summons, a shade of a Heroic Spirit rather than a Servant."

That explained the second set of Servants that they had met in the park well enough. Some of them appeared to be more robotic then anything, so if they weren't true Servants, perhaps they didn't really possess their own wills.

They seemed quite limited, which made sense if they were shadows of sorts rather than true Servants. This was something that she could take solace in, in a way. Rather then facing nearly a full set of Servants, they were facing shades. Aside from Lancer… and Avenger herself. But at the same time… one of their number, he was someone that Saber knew in life. Hijikata Toshizo. Another member of the Shinsengumi, summoned as Berserker. She had seemed prepared to fight him, but… It had to be painful to do battle with someone who had been a comrade and friend in life. Especially when the circumstances were like this.

But Ai would place faith in the girl she loved. She had to.

"… So the only true Servants among their number are Avenger and Lancer, then?" asked Saber. She seemed to have already suspected this was the case, as well, but the confirmation of that fact was good. Rather than the least cooperative Servants being controlled, they were removed from their usual demeanors entirely due to the nature of their summoning.

Rani nodded.

"Prior to his death," she continued, "Archer was able to eliminate Shadow Caster, so there are only five Shadow Servants that must be defeated. I speculate that if Avenger is killed, the Shadow Servants will disappear as well, if any yet live by that point. Given the nature of our opponents, however, I believe they must be removed as swiftly as possible, before confronting Avenger or Lancer. There is also the possibility of Lancer fighting alongside the Shadow Servants, which would be a far more dangerous threat."

"… I agree," Tsubaki said, her tone quiet and hesitating. It was obvious to Ai that even speaking about Lancer as an enemy was difficult, but Tsubaki still knew that she had to do. "Lancer… Lancer is well-suited to fighting with allies… though I don't think she will, if her enemy is Saber. She wanted to fight with Saber in a final duel, one-on-one. I know Lancer… even like this, I don't think she'd give up on that."

"Is that so?" Rani asked, glancing from Tsubaki to Saber.

"I've got no doubt in it, Rani-san!" declared Saber, confidently, "Lancer said so herself when we met again. She even stopped Avenger, so we would be able to fight one on one when I recovered. Seeing her like that was terrible…"

The platinum blonde girl trailed off for a moments, unable to hide her feelings about Lancer's fate.

"… But even like that, she's still Lancer."

For a few moments, silence fell across the table. There was no way of telling, really, if it was better or worse that Lancer's personality still existed even in her blackened state. It was hard to imagine how Tsubaki must have been feeling during this conversation, but it looked like she was going to be okay for now. At least, Ai hoped so.

"So she most likely will not attack while the Shadow Servants are still active," Rani concluded, "And additionally, it is likely that Avenger herself will be preoccupied with the descent of the Holy Grail, using her guardians to delay any attackers. So, we will likely have the opportunity to defeat her Shadow Servants without any intervention."

That was good news. However, the Shadow Servants were still dangerous… and now that they only had one Servant… Ai wanted to have faith in Souji. And she did. But the idea of her going against that many opponents alone was terrifying. It had been a struggle the first time, and now… Well, they had to fight rather than escape. They had to clear out all of the Shadow Servants that remained.

"… Saber… is there anything you can do to narrow the playing field against that many enemies? I…. I don't want to see you get hurt again…" began Ai, as she turned to face the girl samurai.

"It's true that I'm best suited to one-on-one duels," Saber responded, folding her arms, "But don't worry, Ai-chan. I'm sure you realized I don't just have one Noble Phantasm!"

Ai thought back almost immediately. That's right… her Servant's parameters included two more Noble Phantasms. For that matter, Mumyou Sandanzuki was less of a proper Noble Phantasm and more of a skill, but its function was like the former more than the latter.

"… Then… then one of your Noble Phantasms will let you take them on all at once?" asked Ai, hope rising in her heart as she looked up at her Servant.

"There's no doubt in my mind," replied the swordswoman, with a confident nod towards her Master, "Even… even if Hijikata-san is with them."

Her confidence faltered in that instant. Meeting one of her comrades only for him to be an enemy…

"Then I believe in you," Ai asserted. It had to be hard for Saber, fighting someone who was once her friend, but the platinum blonde girl had surpassed so many dangerous enemies already… even something like this… She had to win, to stop Pandora. And so, Ai placed all her faith in her Servant. The girl she loved. The girl who had helped her become more confident.

The girl who would win. She had to.

"I shall place my trust in Saber as well, then," said Rani, with a nod, "In that case, the first step is to allow Saber to use her Noble Phantasm to defeat the Shadow Servants by using her Noble Phantasm. Ideally, she shall have a moment of recovery before facing Lancer, but we may not have the time to allow for that. As a result, I suggest preparing as much as you are able, Matsushita."

Ai nodded swiftly. That was the plan from the very beginning. She was going to prepare in every possible way, to make sure Saber was as ready as she could be before they went to assault the parking garage. It was all she could do to ensure that they won. To ensure Saber would be safe…

"… If that's the case… Rani-san, I'll work with Saber to draw out the Shadow Servants, and defeat them," said Ai. "While you work to weaken Avenger's workshop defenses. She might be a magus from the Age of Gods, but… I think it might be possible to at least dull them, to make it easier to get inside."

The small brunette wasn't certain about her proposal, but it seemed like the most solid start they had when it came to beginning a serious plan beyond general proposals of how to attack the Shadow Servants or take on Avenger. They had to start somewhere.

"I was about to make a similar proposal," Rani responded, with a nod, "While I cannot match a magus of the Age of Gods, Atlas created me with the intent of allowing me to utilize numerous countermeasures against other magi. If I am permitted to work in concert with the other three Ranis currently available, I will likely be able to create a hole in her defense. I cannot imagine I will not be granted permission, due to the gravity of the situation."

"In that case, I'll work with Ai-san," said Tsubaki, "I can't really help drill a hole in Avenger's defenses directly, but I'll do everything I can to help Saber take down the Shadow Servants."

What Tsubaki hadn't said was that this gave her the best chance to at least get to see Lancer one more time, but Ai knew that was one of the reasons that the girl had decided to support Saber as well was in order to do so.

"There's no way I'd let myself lose!" asserted Saber, confidently, "So you can count on me. Even if the shadow of Hijikata-san is there… I'll show him that I'm still the person he knew, back then. I can't let Ai-chan down."

From there. The progress on constructing a plan of attack had gone… well, it wasn't exactly a well-defined, structured plan. There was no way of knowing exactly what they would be up against, once they entered the parking garage. But they at least knew how they were going to begin the assault. Apparently, Theomanius had signaled to Atlas that he would prepare some sort of support, but after the loss of Archer his resources were not as significant as they had been previously. But there had been no response from Shimada Yukiko.

In the end, there was little else that they could rely on other then their own power. Saber was the one remaining Servant in opposition of Avenger, and therefore they had to rely on her however they could. Ai had placed every ounce of her faith into the beautiful, silvery-haired girl, but she still feared for her as well. She didn't know what she would do if this failed, not only because of what it meant for the human race, but because of what that meant for Souji.

But she had to try not to think about it. To keep herself from getting distracted by thoughts of doom.

As they all left the dining hall, to begin preparing for the attack on the parking garage.

"… Hey, Souji-chan…" she said, glancing towards her Servant.

"… Can we talk for a while?"

* * *

And so the Holy Grail War had been tainted.

Estrizia reclined in her seat with a sigh. She'd received word from Atlas, who had immediately apologized for their interference, that an experiment had gone wrong. That they had unleashed an eighth Servant in an irregular class, who immediately went right for the Holy Grail and summoned her own set of shades. To be honest, deep down, the Executor had suspected something was going wrong for some time, but she had been uncertain as to what it was. Regardless, her duty had to be fulfilled, and that included bringing this all to an end. As the representative of the Church for this war, she had pledged all of her resources and capabilities, if they were needed. There was not much she could do in direct battle against a Servant, but she could still provide support. Preventing Avenger from obtaining the Holy Grail was now the main goal of the war itself.

The Holy Grail… Estrizia didn't think it was the true relic, not really. But it was something similar enough that it was worth protecting, a recreation of sorts that was something 'similar to the real thing'. But it wasn't merely the Holy Grail's nature that determined the new objective of the few remaining participants in the war. It was the fact that Avenger seemed to desire to use it to attack all of humanity.

It seemed like quite a foolish goal, in the blonde woman's mind, but that was hardly going to change Avenger's mind.

There was only one remaining Master and Servant pair left, even if Lancer was apparently still alive according to Atlas. That adorable little girl(who wasn't actually as young as she looked) and the beautiful Saber… ah, at least it was them who remained. Not to say there were not other Servants and masters who drew her attentions, but the Saber had been quite delicious.

Estrizia had to force her mind back on-course after a moment. There were far more important matters to attend to. While fighting enemy Servants directly was not exactly something she was capable of, she could at least hold them off. The blonde nun was considering her options, and among them was the possibility of joining the attack in order to assist the remaining Masters.

But that required surviving.

It had not been long after being made aware of Avenger's existence that she had begun to set up defenses around the Church that would make her aware of spiritual interference. And the fact was that she had been notified of said interference several moments ago.

Something was coming. Had she not known to put defenses in place, she likely would have been taken completely unaware. If her enemy was a Servant, all Estrizia would be able to do would be to defend herself.

However…

A crimson blade flashed through the air. In an instant, its edge bit into Estrizia's seat, slicing through the wood as if it was butter. But, the true target was no longer there.

The blonde woman and leapt away, spun on her heel in moments. Her capacity to move swiftly was not on the level of a Servant, but it was undeniably beyond that of an ordinary human being. The hilts of swords without blades slid from her sleeves, and she quickly gripped them between her fingers. A tingling sensation ran through her arms as Estrizia passed prana through them, straight, thin, double-edged swords materializing as she did.

Black Keys. The armament of Church Executors, sacraments capable of harming even spiritual beings. In spite of their appearance, they were best suited to being thrown, though Estrizia was fond of their odd balance and any Executor could use them as a melee weapon if necessary. But a Servant could not be slain by them.

However…

The figure that stood before her, crimson katana gleaming in one hand, stepped around the chair. He wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, his face cloaked in darkness save for his fiery eyes. Indeed, the blonde nun could practically feel the corruption radiating from the man's body as he stepped forward.

"In spite of this Church's defenses, you managed to infiltrate it and attack at the very last moment without alerting me…" Estrizia commented, cocking her head to one side as she did, "Then, your class is Assassin?"

"Assassin?" the man asked, raising his katana to bear, "What kind of an insult is that? I'm a Manslayer! My existence, everything about me, is honed for killing humans! I'm the greatest swordsman in the world!"

"A Manslayer, hm?" questioned Estrizia, taking a step back. Someone whose existence was honed for killing humans… An enemy of Mankind, as it were. The Executor raised her Black Keys, the gleaming lights of the candles shimmering off the blades.

Assassin lunged forward, his crimson blade seeming to leave a trail through the air as he closed the distance between the two combatants in an instant. The first Black Key among the four clasped in each of Estrizia's hands split almost immediately when she raised it to block, but the second managed to hold against the enemy's attack! Estrizia used the side of the Key to slide his blade back and away as she moved swiftly back. For a moment, just a moment, she could see her attacker pause, as if he was confused. Perhaps his movements did not feel as fast, as fluid, as he would have expected. Perhaps he hadn't thought that an enemy such as this would have been able to evade his attack.

Whatever the case was, Estrizia took advantage of that brief moment, hurling one of her Black Keys towards Assassin! As expected, he was still quite swift, and the weapon missed entirely as it hurtled past him. It buried itself deep into the wall some distance behind her, and he lunged forward for another attack. Replenishing her two lost Black Keys as swiftly as she could, Estrizia crossed the eight blades in an x-pattern in front of her to form a protective net, reinforcing each individual Black Key with their fellows! This time, not a single one of the blades gave way to Assassin's strike, and she was able to hold her ground! Perhaps not push him back, but to keep him from pushing her any further…

The Shadow Servant stepped back. Estrizia guessed he was already able to discern that something was wrong, even if he couldn't tell exactly what it was. But, truthfully, how could he possibly have been able to tell? He was no mage, nor anyone connected to the Church, and he had likely been a regular human in life in spite of his extreme physical capabilities.

He never would have been prepared for this.

Estrizia could tell, with his every strike, that he was the far more skilled wielder of the blade than herself. Had this been an ordinary battle, she would most certainly have lost and been killed no matter what she utilized. No matter how skilled she was, fighting in a duel against an immensely swordsman was never something she had been trained to do.

However…

"What is this?!" the man practically snarled, "I'm the greatest swordsman in the world! There's no way you should be able to evade me like this! Those swords shouldn't be able to even withstand my blows! Why can't I reach you?!"

"You're right on all accounts, Manslayer," responded Estrizia, a smile on her lips as she lowered her blades, "You're undeniably more skilled. And in most cases, you should be much stronger and faster than me, as well."

The Shadow Servant lunged forward, as if to take her off-guard! And he nearly did, but she managed to trap his flashing blade between her net of Black Keys and force it back before his strike could reach its target. Had he been operating at his full potential, Estrizia doubted she could ever have done so.

"Had you been a true Servant, none of what I've done to defend myself would have been powerful enough to stop you. At most, I could have held you off in hopes that assistance could have arrived," the blonde nun continued, now pressing her own attack, lashing out with one set of Black Keys and forcing him to defend! "Had you been human, none of these defenses would have worked in the first place."

She pressed her assault again, the surprised Shadow Servant using his blade held at an angle to deflect her. Almost immediately after pushing him back, Estrizia hurled another Black Key! This time, he was just barely able to dodge the black blade as it sliced through the air!

"But right now, you're neither of those things, are you!?" declared the Executor, manifesting another key to replace the one she threw, "You're a blackened and twisted spirit that defines himself as an enemy of mankind!"

Estrizia lowered her stance, drawing one hand back.

"And so, Manslayer, did you know what the Executors of the Church are trained to destroy!?"

The blonde nun could see those fiery eyes narrow.

"So you knew you couldn't win against the greatest swordsman, and resorted to methods like this?" the Assassin asked. Immediately, she darted forward, one arm lowering for an upwards swing, her Black Keys crashing against his blade and forcing him back. Yes… with the defenses she had applied to the Church, she truly was forcing the Shadow Servant back! Even now, he was still set off-balance, having never anticipated that it was not truly his target, but rather the environment that his target had created, that would be the most dangerous enemy!

"That's exactly right, Manslayer!" declared Estrizia, using the manner in which her attacker's movements have been slowed to parry a sudden thrust of his blade! Had he been at his full potential, she likely would only have barely been capable of deflecting such a strike, or perhaps not even at all. But with his capabilities dulled, she was able to do it just as if she had truly been the superior fighter. Indeed, he was a dark phantom, a Manslayer who in life had trained himself to slaughter humans like some kind of beast. But what were the Executors of the Church trained to slay, if not beasts that slaughtered humans?!

"You're a blackened monster that exists to kill humans! So, this Church has become a fortress of god," Estrizia continued, as she used the side of her Black Keys to force that crimson katana to the side and strike out once more, the Shadow Servant barely capable of defending himself with a red flash and a shower of brilliant sparks. When he had first attacked, even with his abilities already being dulled, he had been setting the pace of the battle. But now, Estrizia had taken the lead in this dance, and he had been forced to follow her tempo! "If you had attempted to attack me outside of it, I couldn't expect such a performance as this. You likely would have succeeded in your mission to kill me, unless I was able to hold out long enough for assistance. Wouldn't that be such a shame~?"

He practically growled as their weapons clashed once more, and she used her leverage to send him reeling back several steps! The executor had already forced the dark spirit back towards the back of the church, where she had once been seated. From the very moment Estrizia was informed of the existence of the Shadow Servants by Atlas, she had set about making the Church into something that would be anathema to their existence! A normal Servant would have been unaffected, of course, but a dark spirit born from corruption, on the other hand…

A sudden, surprising thrust from Assassin's blade took her off-guard! It slammed into the base of one of her Black Keys, fragmenting it there before striking the one behind it and doing the same. The third that it struck broke at the base two, with only the final of the sacraments in her left had surviving, sent hurtling high into the air!

Due to the defenses she had put in place, Estrizia had barely been able to move out of his range for his next slash, but the damage had been done. That blow, strong enough to break multiple black keys, had also twisted her left wrist. Whenever she tried to move it, a shock of pain reverberated up the length of her left arm, leaving her with only her right usable, for the moment at least. Even under the effects of the Church's conversion into God's Fortress hadn't totally dulled Assassin's abilities. The blonde nun winced as she raised her right arm, the remaining four black keys gleaming.

"That's enough of that!" snapped the manslayer, drawing his katana back as he took a wide, ready stance, "You're nothing but a moron if you really thought something like that would let you match the greatest swordsman to ever walk the Earth!"

He drew his blade up. Even with his form cloaked in darkness, it was possible to tell his entire body was tensing, ready to strike in an instant.

"I'll show you a blow that will cut through those defenses and make you another one of this Manslayer's victims, Executor!" he declared, raising his katana. Indeed, with only one functional hand and four remaining black keys, it would have been difficult to block whatever deadly stroke he had in store.

However…!

The Black Key that had been sent hurtling into the air fell. It met its mark immediately, embedding itself in the floor behind the Shadow Servant, sinking deep into his shadow. With the sacrament piercing his silhouette on the stone floor, Shadow Assassin suddenly found himself completely unable to move! His fiery eyes widened in shock, but try as he might there was nothing he could do to force himself onwards.

"Wh-what?!" he stammered, in shock, "You…!"

"As I was saying, Manslayer," Estrizia said, drawing her right arm back as she took aim at her restrained foe, with a wink, "A man-eater in the House of God never stood a chance. Not even once."

The blonde nun swung her arm down, and let loose the last four Black Keys. They whistled through the air as they hurtled towards their target, and each and every one hit home. Shadow Assassin let out a strangled gasp as they pierced his chest, burying themselves up to their hilts in his body, their tips protruding from his back as each of the Keys ran him all the way through.

The Black Key pinning his shadow dissipated, and he staggered back, clutching at the hilts pressing against his chest with wide eyes.

"… I… w-was defeated… by cheap tricks…?" he stumbled back another step, "… You… rotten woman…"

With that, the Shadow Servant fell backwards, his body rapidly breaking apart and fading into a black mist that drifted into the air before fading away entirely. Estrizia lowered her arm, taking a deep breath as she did.

She'd won.

"Guilty as charged, Manslayer~" she chirped with a wink and a smile, brightly. But that had hardly been as effortless as she had hoped it would seem. No, even with his movements and capabilities restricted, Shadow Assassin had been capable of striking in a manner that damaged her even without actually hitting her, even in spite of his blade being deflected by her Black Keys. Now given a chance to take stock of her injury, Estrizia swiftly realized that her left wrist had not merely been twisted, the blackened swordsman's attack had broken it. In addition, it had taken the majority of her Black Keys to kill him…

While it was absolutely her victory, it had come at a higher price than Estrizia had hoped. The bones in her wrist, insofar as she was able to tell, had not just cracked. They'd been fragmented. While magecraft could certainly mend her injury, it would be difficult to get such assistance with the current state of the Holy Grail War. Every motion of her left hand made it twinge with sharp stabs of violent pain. The Executor was in no position to provide serious assistance to the remaining Masters in the Holy Grail War. At least, not when it came to utilizing her skills as an Executor. At most, she could provide them with support from a distance, such as information. With a broken wrist, she was not capable of bringing her full capabilities against the remaining Shadow Servants. While fighting them alone without any sort of preparation was foolish, acting to support Saber would likely have been successful.

But not with a shattered wrist. She would absolutely only succeed in slowing the girl samurai down. Additionally, seeking assistance from Ai was not among her options, at least for the moment. It was undeniably far more important that the final Servant and Master pair did everything they could to prepare for an assault on Avenger rather than spending their time mending her injury. The repair of her fragmented wrist would have to wait, as painful as it was.

Instead, she would do what she could to keep it in place. Estrizia sat down against the pulpit, dragging a medical kit from her clothing. Her own capabilities when it came to magecraft were quite limited. She could reinforce her body, but mending seriously damaged bone was beyond her. A part of her mind reflected that it was somewhat ironic that someone who was part of the Church, which often professed its kind intent, was unable to perform any sort of healing magic. Then again, perhaps that simply indicated she was a perfect example of the Church's other face.

All that the blonde executor could do now, as she wrapped her wrist, using a splint to hold it in place, was wait. Each time she wrapped her arm, she winced slightly from the pain. Wait to see just what the outcome of the final battle with Avenger would result in. If they failed, Estrizia could confess that she had no idea what would happen.

But she could guess that it would be something that could be called Hell on Earth.

* * *

If there was one thing that Ai could count on, it was the fact that Souji had been happy to talk. Indeed, immediately the girl samurai followed her back upstairs and to her room without hesitation. The whole time, Ai's Servant had proven again and again just how much she enjoyed her time with her Master. For a few moments, that made the small brunette's heart rise… but then she recalled the mission they would soon be undertaking, and fear reawakened within her.

But that was just the reason she wanted to talk to Souji alone. The fear of everything that could go wrong, no matter how carefully they planned. The odds they were against were terrifying, the idea of doing battle with multiple Shadow Servants, Lancer, and finally Avenger… not to mention the presence of Hirata Genjiro.

Ai had to talk with the girl she loved. Together like this. It was strange, they'd been so busy all this time that after realizing they loved one another, there had not been much time to talk. Everything had simply happened so suddenly…

When the both of them entered Ai's bedroom, the short brunette crossed the room quickly and sat on her bed. Without a moment's hesitation, Souji followed her, sitting on the bed beside her. Ai could feel her cheeks color slightly, heat flowing into her face. Even now, after everything, she was still having that sort of reaction…

"Things have been pretty heavy, haven't they, Ai-chan?" Saber asked, resting her hands on her knees, "I know Inoue-san is still in pain on the inside, and Lancer… if there's no way to save her, we still have to fight."

The fact that the platinum blonde swordswoman was talking in such a serious, somewhat morose fashion made it clear that even the ever-optimistic Okita Souji was having trouble dealing with recent events.

"But… I'm still certain we can win, Master!" asserted the girl, with a firm nod, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Ai gave her Servant a weak smile.

"I guess… that's just it, Souji-chan," murmured Ai, looking down at her knees as she spoke, "I… I'm scared. I know we have to win. I know we have to stop Avenger. But…"

Her golden gaze drifted back up towards the other girl.

"I did everything I could to stay calm when we were going over the plan of battle. I know that we need to stop her," continued Ai, her hands clasping at her skirt, "But I can't help it. Avenger… she's really strong, isn't she? She could summon her own Shadow Servants, and she was able to do that to Lancer…"

Ai's shoulders began to shake, and she gripped more tightly at her skirt. The thought of anything like that happening to Saber… it was just horrible. Truly horrible. And yet it was a thought that wouldn't leave her mind.

"… Yeah, she is pretty powerful, isn't she?" commented Saber, nodding slowly, "I certainly never faced anyone like that in life… but there's a lot of things I'm doing now that I never even dreamed of doing in life, isn't there, Ai-chan?"

With a reassuring smile, the platinum blonde Servant placed her hand on Ai's shoulder, leaning slightly towards her. And it wasn't like it didn't help, a little bit, but… that was just it, wasn't it? It was Saber's optimism, Saber's everything. If that was gone…

"That… that's true…" Ai replied, slowly, "A-and… and I know we have to win no matter wh-what… But I… I… what if something goes wrong? I… I guess I just can't help it…"

The small brunette looked down at her lap again. All of her fears and reservations had been bubbling to the surface ever since she witnessed her Servant's near-death when her Weak Constitution skill had activated during her fight with the Shadow Servants. Seeing what had happened to Lancer had only made it even worse.

"I… I really love you, Souji-chan," she continued, "I'm so scared of something happening to you. Avenger was strong enough to… to do that to Lancer, if she can defeat you… w-would she do the same thing? Would… would she…"

Ai buried her face in her hands. Ah… all these worries and fears… it was just how she had started the Holy Grail War, wasn't it? So nothing had really changed, after all. No matter what she had hoped.

"I'm a mess, Souji," she bluntly stated, her head still in her hands, "A complete mess. Nothing really did change, did it? I… I-I thought I was getting more confident, and I'd found someone to love, but the truth is no matter what happens I'll always be like this. A mess of a human being that worries about everything and can never pull herself together and a magus who's too afraid to do what she has to. The kind of person who can only be scared of losing what she has and can't just cherish it for what it is. I… I'm completely pathetic, Souji…"

For a few moments, the only thing that filled Ai's bedroom was silence. For that brief period of time, the small girl was certain this was because even Saber couldn't refute her words, so certain was she in her own failings.

But then…

"That's certainly not the Ai-chan I know," said the swordswoman. Surprised at her Servant's words, Ai looked up to see that Souji was smiling at her again, "The Ai-chan I know is sometimes a little lacking in confidence, sure…"

The girl samurai reached over with her other hand, taking one of Ai's in her own and interlacing their fingers, holding her hand tightly as she did. Her hand felt so warm…

"But she's also the kind of person who does everything she can to help those that she cares about, even when she's scared," she continued, "Whose belief in herself grows whenever she has to do something hard, because even though she's frightened, she'll do it anyway. You're the one who helped Rani-san finish her plan and consoled Inoue-san not so long ago, aren't you?"

Ai hesitated. That might have been true, but the entire time she was doing that, she'd been choking back her fears about what could happen to Saber. No matter what, she'd had to keep pushing it to the back of her mind. Every time there wasn't anything else to focus on, it immediately rose to the surface. Ai simply couldn't stop being afraid of what could happen to Souji.

"You're talking like it's wrong to be worried at all, but I thought that worrying for the safety of the people you love was one of the ways you showed just how much you care for them," added Souji, holding Ai's hand tighter, "I always hoped that everyone in the Shinsengumi would make it out just fine when something happened, after all! And… I want you to be safe, now, too. So, what's so wrong about worrying for the safety of the one you love?"

For a few moments, Ai wasn't certain how to respond. But… she knew this had to be wrong. To be frightened about it like this, to be worrying any moment that her mind wasn't focusing on something else.

"… I… i-it's because… it's because I keep thinking a-about it, I… I h-have faith in you Souji-chan but I'm… c-can I really be a Master who helps defeat Pandora?" she asked, desperately, "Can someone like me really support a Servant in order to save the world, to stop something like Avenger? Am… am I really enough for you, Souji? I d-don't know… I just don't know if I am… a-am I really good enough for you?"

Souji's response wasn't verbal. No, instead, she raised her arms and wrapped them around the smaller girl, embracing her tightly, pulling her against her chest. For a few moments, neither of them said anything. Ai trembled. Saber was hugging her… pulling her close, she could feel her Servant's warmth… the warmth of the girl she loved, so close… she could even feel the beating of Souji's heart. The heartbeat of a girl who died long ago, and yet had been given a second life… a second life because of her. To fight for the Holy Grail War… and yet she was so beautiful, so lovely. She was the one Ai loved, but…

"… I don't know much about love… it's all new to me, Ai-chan," said Saber, after a long period of silence as she embraced her Master, "But what I do know is that I love you."

The silvery-eyed girl leaned back, blushing a little.

"Even if I didn't realize it before, eh-heheh," she added, scratching the back of her head awkwardly, "But… Ai-chan, that alone makes you good enough. You always were, after all! You're the one I love, and you're the one who's going to help me defeat Avenger."

Ai's mind drifted back, not so long ago, when she had confessed her feelings to Souji, and Souji had realized what she was feeling all this time was love as well. There was still a small part of her that really did wonder why a beautiful girl like Saber would ever have fallen for someone like her, if she was being honest to herself. But at the same time, there was no end to the gratitude that Ai felt, to the fact that this lovely, wonderful, kind girl truly did love her. Was she really good enough? Ai still had no idea, but… Saber really did believe in her, firmly and unflinchingly. And, without a doubt, the short magus absolutely believed in Saber.

"I love you too, Souji-chan," said Ai, as she looked up into her Servant's eyes, "But… but that's why… that's why I'm so scared. If I lost you now… I… I don't w-want to think about it, b-but I can't stop…"

"So, you won't lose me," responded Souji, with a warm smile, "As long as I have you by my side, this manslayer feels like she can do anything! It's just like I told you before, Ai-chan."

The girl samurai's fingers were still interlaced with her own, even though the both of them had stopped hugging one another by this point. Saber's words… ah, they always did so much for her. Saber really had been something of a guiding light, no matter how dark it because.

"So don't go saying things like that you're pathetic, or anything like that," the swordswoman added, with a nod of her head, "Because the truth is that you're a lot stronger then you seem to realize. When it really mattered, you were able to do everything you could in order to help me win, in order to help others who you felt were your allies, or were in need. You wanted to take Alys-chan in, after all."

Ah… if that was the case… if Ai really was like that… shouldn't she have been able to focus on the plan, rather then have images of the worst possible outcome play in her mind? Wasn't that how it should be? But then, she recalled her Servant's words… that it was just further proof that they loved one another.

"… I-if all this worrying is proof that I love you…" Ai murmured, half to herself, "Th-then… then I must really love you a lot, huh?"

She gave a weak smile up towards Souji. It was really a silly think to say… and yet, when Ai told it to the silvery-eyed girl, she felt like it had been just right. She remembered the words that she'd spoken when she confessed her love, the words that Saber had replied with… It filled her mind.

"And I feel the same way about you, Ai-chan," responded Saber, brightly, pulling her Master in close with a growing smile, "We'll fight together, and end this war. We'll stop Avenger for sure, I know we can!"

In spite of the still-lingering fears, Ai could feel her heart rising. If there was one thing she knew at this moment, it was that maybe they really, truly did have a chance. Any time she stood beside her Servant, any time she was close to her, she felt so warm… even when she feared for what could happen to the swordswoman, it felt right to be close to her. Simply listening to her breathing, her heartbeat… Indeed, just being beside her was enough. No matter how frightened the short brunette was, it seemed as if nothing could change that fact.

Ai found a small smile making its way onto her lips.

"… I… I know this is what we have to do, Saber… so… so even… even if I feel pathetic for how frightened I feel about facing someone like Pandora…" she trailed off for a moment, "… I'll stand together with you, and… and I'll do everything that I can to make sure we win."

To be honest, it was the only right thing to do. And it was the only thing she could do in order to stand beside Saber. So, even until the end, she'd remain beside the girl samurai no matter what. After all… they'd only reaffirmed how they felt about one another, now, hadn't they?

"That's exactly what I thought you'd say, Ai-chan," Saber responded, smiling brightly as she spoke, "You're the kind of person who does what you think is right, no matter what. So no matter what things end up like, that's why I have faith in you."

It was those sorts of words that made Ai just so thankful for having summoned someone like Saber… even now, she still wasn't sure she deserved it, but Saber was so kind, so upbeat and cheerful… How could such a wonderful girl exist?!

Finally, Ai could take it no longer. Overcome once more, her small hands gripping Souji's, she leaned up and pressed her lips against the taller girl's. This time, the pale swordswoman wasn't so shocked, only taking a moment to return the kiss. The warmth of her body… Even if it was a transient, spiritual form, it was still warm. Still felt like flesh and blood. But, of course, Ai had already intimately familiarized herself with that fact. For some time, both girls simply remained like this, sitting in one another's embrace, feeling the warmth of their lips.

Indeed, they only stopped when they suddenly heard the door open. Embarrassed, and surprised, both girls swiftly looked towards the doorway. Standing there, looking mildly flustered from the sight herself, was the now-familiar form of Alysvial von Einzbern.

"Ah, er, you were doing those things again!" the little girl mumbled, shifting awkwardly, "Um… I just wanted to wish you good luck, though, since I couldn't figure out how to help out… I wanted to do something, at least!"

Ah… Alysvial was really trying hard, wasn't she? Ai took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down in more ways than one.

"That's alright, Alys-chan," Saber said, managing to quickly recover from her embarrassment, though Ai noted that her cheeks were still rather flushed, "As long as you stay safe, we'll be happy, I'm sure."

Alys was silent for a few moments. It didn't seem like she liked the idea of being unable to help, and in Ai's recovering mind it was rather obvious why. While she didn't wish for the little girl to risk her life, the fact was that she was an Einzbern homunculus, a magus of incredible power. No, perhaps 'magus' was an incorrect label for her. Rather, she was magic circuit in the shape of a human being. That was the sort of power exhibited by a top-ranking homunculus like Alys.

But ultimately, the idea of placing an innocent girl like that in danger because of her power didn't sit well with Ai. If she did something like that, wouldn't she be no better then the old man who had done it in the first place? Even if Alys better understood the conflict she would be entering, not only did she lack a Servant, but she was still a child. There was no way that either Saber or Ai could every consider something like that to be the right option.

"That's right, Alys-chan, if you wa-"

Ai paused for a moment. Her thoughts about the pale little girl's nature had reminded her that Rani V, too, was a homunculus. Due to her lack of capabilities in direct combat, at least against Servants, Rani was to aid in dismantling the defenses that Avenger had placed around the parking garage. No modern magus, no matter how powerful, would have been able to completely destroy them, but she could weaken them, or make a hole. She would be both out of harm's way and still assisting them.

"… Alys-chan, what kind of magecraft are you best suited towards?" she asked. If Alys so badly wanted to help… there was a way for her to remain out of danger and still do everything she could to contribute.

"Ah? Well… I'm good at defensive spells. Not just making them, but disabling them, too!" declared the homunculus, helpfully, "I also have familiars made out of my own hair, but I didn't get to use them much… That's not all I'm good at, but it's one of the things I'm good at! … Um… why did you ask?"

"… There's a way you can help, and still stay safe, then!" Ai responded, with a nod. She could feel a confused look from Saber. The brunette girl was still nervous, but… Alys's desperate desire to provide assistance made it seem wrong to ignore the possibility, "Rani-san is going to be working to open a hole in whatever defenses Avenger has created. If you helped her… I… I think there's no chance that we wouldn't make it through!"

The little girl's crimson eyes widened. Two homunculi, one created by Atlas and the other by the Einzbern, doing all they could to drill a hole right into the workshop that Avenger had created. Even the Magecraft of the Age of Gods couldn't withstand those combined efforts, at least, not without straining just a little. Just enough.

Ai couldn't be entirely certain if this had been the right thing to do, but at the same time it seemed wrong to turn the desperate girl away, and the fact was that they'd be at a safe location while Saber, with Ai and Tsubaki's support, did battle with the Shadow Servants. No matter how much the idea of that frightened her, she had been able to recognize the possibilities that were granted. On top of that, as far as she understood, Alys's maids had enough mild combat ability that they could serve as guards, just in case.

"It might be Magecraft of the Age of Gods," Alys began, brightly, "But an Atlas Homunculus and I should be able to make a hole for you! I'll go talk to her right away!"

Excitedly, the pale little girl sprinted off, presumably to locate Rani and inform her of her newfound role in the plan.

"Letting her assist from a safe location that lets her use her best talents…" commented Souji, "It's not like we can be certain if it really will be totally safe, but it's as close to safe as possible. I thought you kept saying you weren't a planner, Ai-chan."

"… I… I still don't know if it was the right thing to do," said Ai, holding her arm, now that Alys was out of earshot, "She's… she's a little girl, but… she's also a powerful magus, and she wanted to help so badly…"

"… I can't say I would have been sure what to do either," said the girl samurai, with a deep breath, "I don't want Alys-chan to get hurt, but I think there isn't much of a chance of that if she stays close to Rani. I'll be keeping the Shadow Servants occupied, after all! And with Avenger busy and Lancer waiting for me…"

The Saber-class Servant nodded firmly to herself.

"I was already fighting to make sure everyone stayed safe, so even if Alys-chan is on the scene I won't falter! Even…"

Souji inhaled deeply, letting the air drift out of her at a much more sedate pace.

"Even knowing Hijikata-san will be there. I can't let myself think about anything else but victory."

Hijikata… But, if Hijikata was going to be one of the first enemies that they faced… Ai had to have faith in her Servant. And no matter what fears she held, Ai did. If Saber said that she could fight Hijikata, that she had a Noble Phantasm that would allow her to counter all of the Shadow Servants at once, then she would believe her without hesitation.

"But right now… it's late," Souji added, glancing towards her Master, "… We have to start preparing for the battle tomorrow, don't we?"

That was exactly right. Ai hadn't realized just how late it was, moments ago. Alys must have been keeping herself up worrying about how she could help, too…

Ai nodded.

"I'll be by your side the whole night, Ai-chan."

And so she was.

The next day was spent largely on greater preparations. A plan had been coordinated between Rani and Alys, the both of them coming to an agreement on how to begin work on penetrating Avenger's defenses. In the end, the idea was what Ai had suspected it would be, to begin to erode them from a long range with the help of familiars as a sort of 'delivery service'. It was likely that the familiars would not survive the process, but at this point they had to do whatever they could in order to stop Avenger. The sacrifice of a few familiars was a loss of resources, but they were not complicated ones with their own thoughts and feelings.

Speaking of familiars, they had been contacted by Theomanius. He had put forth his own familiar, Marion, as a potential assistant. The little girl had arrived late that morning, not long after her assistance was accepted. She was silent, but her capabilities laid in a strong supportive role. She was able to apply reinforcement quite effectively to other magi, beyond Ai could do, at least. While it seemed like a small thing, it would help to prevent more serious injuries and allow them to evade attacks. Additionally, she was excellent at detecting spiritual presences, meaning that anything short of an Assassin would struggle to ambush them. Any assistance was welcome, and Marion's was no exception. However, Ai couldn't help but notice that she seemed rather sad… thinking back to the previous few times she had seen the little familiar, there was no way to ignore the fact that it was likely due to Archer's death.

A pang of guilt struck her heart when she realized this. Archer had perished saving the lives of Saber and herself. He may have been an enemy Servant, but he had died as an ally, fighting to keep the Shadow Servants at bay. She couldn't help but feel guilty, especially seeing how it had affected Marion. The small familiar seemed to become angry any time the enemy Servants were mentioned, and quite and morose otherwise.

Ai couldn't blame her. She had seemed to be very close to the Archer-class Servant, after all… But unfortunately, there was little time to spend on comforting her.

Tsubaki had been spending time hastily preparing air capsules. By her explanation, they were small containers of folded air, a sort of 'discount' Mystic Code that could function as a grenade by releasing the air contained inside of them all at once, or to bolster a spell.

There were a few things the tanned magus was certain of. One, was that she was going to see Lancer again, no matter what happened and no matter how dark her former Servant had become. The second was that there was no chance that Hirata Genjiro wouldn't be there.

Hirata Genjiro… He was still a mystery to Ai. Just why was he doing the things he had done? To ally with a Servant like Avenger… to tell her about her parents… while it was ultimately better to know, no matter how painful the knowledge had been, the fact remained that there was no way that the man had shared that information with the intent of helping her. Not given his other actions.

Saber had suggested his intent was to break the alliance between two of the knight classes, and at the moment Ai agreed with that, especially given the fact that Tsubaki and Lancer had immediately been ambushed after they parted.

The small brunette felt a pang of guilt for that, too. To think that Lancer had fallen and been corrupted because they split up… if they'd still been together, could Saber have stopped Avenger from defeating the knight?

Ai struggled not to let past regrets get the better of her. She had to keep pushing forward, just like Saber had told her. They had to stop Avenger.

As the day wore on, the apprehension in Ai's heart grew stronger and stronger. Avenger was someone with a Noble Phantasm that could assault the entire world, and they had never seen her fight before. Was there any way to predict just what kind of abilities she could possess? But whenever she began to grow frightened, Ai reminded herself about Saber's words. She was someone Souji had faith in… so she had to have faith in herself.

It felt like it was almost too soon that the sun was beginning to set. By Rani's reckoning, there was no further time to make preparations. This was the final few hours. The Holy Grail's descent would begin tonight, and if Avenger obtained it as she hoped then that would be the end. Every time she thought about the fact that Avenger truly possessed the capability to attack all of humanity if she gained the Holy Grail, it made her even more frightened. But at the same time… somehow, it filled her with even more determination. Was this truly the effect of Saber's words, then? Of… of Saber's love? Was it all because of what the both of them now shared? She didn't know. She couldn't know, really. But… deep down, Ai knew that something about herself really had changed.

It was almost time. Everyone was beginning to gather in the mansion's main hall.

"Ai-chan," she heard Saber's voice, and the words of her Servant snapped her out of the somewhat messy train of thought she had been following all day.

"Souji-chan?" she asked, "What is it? S-sorry I've been all over the place today, e-er…" she trailed off. Of course, Saber had been participating in the preparations as well, so it wasn't like she wouldn't be aware…

"… I'm sorry, Ai," continued the girl samurai, taking a deep breath, "We're so close to beginning the final assault and I almost forgot. This whole time… there's been something I haven't shown anyone."

Something she hadn't shown anyone…? Wait… Saber mentioned that she had two other Noble Phantasms, hadn't she? If one was the tool she intended to use against the Shadow Servants, then there was still another…

The beautiful swordswoman raised one hand. Her katana appeared in a flurry of cherry blossom light, and then the rest of her clothing did as well.

"I thought it would immediately give my identity away," she continued, "So I chose not to use it. But now, there's nothing that can possibly be held back any longer. Please allow me to show you the true Okita Souji, Ai."

The last streams of sunlight through the windows caught the blade of Souji's katana. And then…

"Chikai no Haori!"

There was a brilliant flash of light, and cherry blossoms seemed to flow suddenly from Ai's Servant's body. The short brunette took a step back, golden eyes widening. There was no ignoring it… suddenly, her Servant's physical parameters had suddenly leapt up in power!

When the light faded, it was revealed just why.

Okita Souji now stood clad in the coat she had worn in life that most perfectly symbolized her role in history. The blue and white of the Shinsengumi. It was a Noble Phantasm that enhanced-no, not enhanced. It allowed for the use of Souji's true capabilities. That was the nature of Chikai no Haori.

"… To even tell you of it slipped my mind…" added Saber, reaching back to scratch the back of her head, awkwardly.

"… It's fine, Souji," responded Ai, with a smile, "… You know, you look even more beautiful like that."

Her Servant returned her smile.

The final preparations were completed.

It was the beginning of the end.


	18. Chapter 18

It had been her curiosity that they had preyed upon.

It was possible, even now, for her to recall her own creation, the first moments where she had found herself as a living being, born with purpose. Born, as the gods of Greece had told her, to be a gift to all humanity. Indeed, with her very birth, she had been granted so many gifts by the gods as well. Back then, she had thought it was a joyous occasion. She had been taught to weave and sew, given graceful bearing. She had been given great intelligence and fine language. They gave her beautiful clothing, a crown, and finally a name.

Pandora. A joyous name, one that represented her nature as both a gift to those who lived upon the Earth and one who had been granted so many gifts.

At the time, Pandora had loved the gods. The ones who were, in her mind, her family. She was a being closer to humanity, created by the gods of Greece rather than numbering among them, and yet they were those that had given birth to her. She was a divine construct, a sort of homunculus that had been created by their hands rather than the hands of humans. The very fact that she was allowed to live, to be born, to exist on this world, had granted her so much happiness.

Now that notion simply made her sick.

She recalled one gift among all the others that had been different. When all the others were obvious gifts of love, or so they had seemed at the time, Pandora had been unable to understand what the purpose of the box was. It, too, was a divine construct, an item that the gods had created alongside her. She had been told it was just as important as she was, but never to open it, for what it contained was the most important thing of all.

And then the box was given to her, and she was sent to a human settlement. The words of the humans she met, the way in which they praised her for her beauty and her kindness… it made her heart rise. She brought happiness to these people simply by the nature of her own existence, though Pandora did her best to attempt to lend her aid in other ways as well. As a homunculus, one created by the gods, she was incredibly gifted in magecraft. With her magecraft, she did all that she could to better the lives of those around her.

That, too, made her feel ill when she recalled it.

Even in her happiness, there was one thing that kept niggling at her. One thing that was gnawing at the back of her mind more and more with every passing day. The Pandora who believed she was loved by the gods and certainly was loved by humanity couldn't understand why she had been given a box and told not to open it.

For all the intelligence she had been given, she lacked the wisdom to understand this.

It was not by mistake, though. It was by design.

For Pandora, with every passing day, even with all the trust she had placed in those who created her, she kept wondering just what could possibly be inside the strange box. It felt warm to the touch. If it had been given to her, one who had been an offering to humanity, then there was no way it could have been anything bad. This was the logic that had ultimately spurred her to action. Yes, as one who was a gift, perhaps this was a gift as well, one that had been left until the right time. She was certain that one day the gods would tell her it was the right time to open the box, to show humanity whatever joys lay within it.

If it was something so wonderful, a divine gift even more important than herself, why did she have to wait? They had never told her there was any reason to do so. Simply not to open it. Soon, her curiosity was becoming overwhelming. Pandora had to lean what was within the box. She had to show the humans who had taken her in whatever wonderful thing lay inside of it.

It had been a completely ordinary day, when she made her decision to open the box. Pandora had it beside her at all times, so it was only natural that it would be easy for her to access it. She remembered placing it carefully on the ground, and for a few moments puzzling over just how it was meant to be opened. It was not any ordinary sort of container, it had no clear lid. From what she had been able to tell, it was a perfect cube of strangely-shifting blacks, purples, and browns. She had spent much of the day puzzling over this and had gathered something of a crowd of curious onlookers in the process.

Never once had the gods intervened or attempted to tell Pandora not to open the box. After all, this was just as they had planned.

Eventually, she had discovered it had no lid, but it seemed as if there was some way to open it entirely anyway…

And so Pandora opened the box.

What had poured from it was not the wonderful gift she had envisioned.

No, what poured out of it was something blackened, twisted and evil. From within the box was something composed of nothing but curses and hatred, an endless flood of All the Evils of the World flooding out of the confines of the box. It consumed Pandora. It consumed the village. It spread further and further in a great torrent of mud. It never ended, and while it burned away the very lives of those humans it came into contact with, somehow Pandora had survived. She survived to weep, to fail to understand why she had been given something so terrible.

She was unable to close it until she had glimpsed what she believed to be the final evil. Something deceptive, something of a betrayer and deceiver, something that embodied just what the gods had done.

Pandora now understood what she was. She was no gift. She was a punishment. Her existence was to harm humanity, what the gods had cared about from the beginning.

She was a profaned offering. From the very beginning, none of the gifts had been out of joy for her existence. Her arrival on Earth had not been one intended to herald a golden era of happiness. It had been because the Gods of Greece perceived that which they truly held focus on, humanity, as having done something wrong. Something worthy of punishment. The entire reason for her existence, her very birth, was simply as a tool to be deceived by the gods into unleashing a torrent of evil upon the world. Pandora had been born as a simple key to unlock a simple box, her form, her thoughts, everything about her had existed as only a deception.

The pain that this realization had caused her burned away at her inside. The burning of the black mud, the burning pain, the scent of charred flesh as humans wasted away to nothingness from the exposure to the myriad of curses as the torrent of blackness flowed. It felt as if she was being ripped apart and put back together. And yet, at the very bottom of the box, she glimpsed something shining… for the briefest moment, the remaining portion of her mind that had not been twisted with agony believed that, perhaps, it was a real gift.

Hope.

Pandora had hoped the box would contain a gift. She had hoped she would be loved. She had hoped the gods loved her. Her life, her existence, all of it had been founded on hope. And yet here and now, where had hope gotten her? Every single little hope in her mind had been nothing more than a betrayal. The very idea of hope was no longer something to be cherished. That brilliant light at the bottom of the box… at that moment, Pandora had come to realize what it was.

The box contained All the Evils of the World. And so, it would contain hope as well.

For hope truly was the final evil. The lie that deceived anyone had the audacity to believe that anything could become better.

Hope was nothing less than the blackest evil within Pandora's Box.

Somehow, though she now barely remembered how she had managed it, Pandora had shut the box before hope, too, could escape.

But she now understood. Her body had been warped by the blackened mud, her skin possessing a death-like pallor and her hair bleached.

It was the likeness she now possessed as a Servant.

But she now understood.

The gods that had used her as nothing but a tool… the humanity they had used her as a tool against, all on part of some vengeful punishment for something that they had done. Pandora may as well have been a spear that caused pestilence and disease wherever it was thrown.

And so she hated the ancient Gods of Greece. A hate that festered until she perished.

A hate that still existed and grew stronger. If they cared for humanity so much, then she would simply reveal to the gods the true nature of the punishment they had once used.

She would drown the Earth in blackened mud. It would be the end of everything, all for the sake of her revenge.

And it was so very, very close. While, for the purpose of reaching the Root, all Servants would have to be slain, the grail would begin its descent even when two or three Servants persisted in the world. Out of the original seven that had been summoned, only two remained. All she needed the Grail for was a source of power. If she threw open Pandora's Box to its limits now, many people would die in the blazing fire of millions and millions of curses. The infinite curses of All the Evils of the World. However, it would eventually wear down the girl who had summoned her until she died, and Pandora herself would soon fade away, leaving her vengeance incomplete.

So, from the moment she had been summoned, Pandora had decided that the best course of action to complete her vengeance was simply to claim the Holy Grail, use it as a source of infinite mana, and burn the entire world with it.

And so she waited, in the very bottom floor of the parking garage. This, indeed, would be the site of the Holy Grail's final descent, the arrival of the artifact the entire war existed to claim. There was something of a sense of satisfaction in her heart. That she would finally, finally see the vengeance she craved ever since that day so long ago.

However, Pandora could not allow herself to become complacent. She still had to claim the grail, to make it usable as a source of mana.

And so…

Her remaining Shadow Servants were outside the parking complex. They would form the first line of defense. Certainly, the decision to send Shadow Assassin to slay the Church's representative had been a mistake, but she still retained control of four Shadow Servants, one of whom possessed their full range of intelligence and the others who would answer solely to her will. Then, if the remaining Servant and the magi aligned with her surpassed the defenses she had placed on her new workshop… within were both of her true allies. The beautiful Lancer she had twisted with her will, and the man who desired to see the human world engulfed in fire for the sake of self-worthiness. Together, they would form an effective defense. And if they were surpassed… She would await the final Servant at the bottom of the parking garage and destroy her there.

Then Pandora would take the revenge she had waited for. For far too long. She would allow absolutely nothing to stop her from grasping that which she had desired.

Yes…

The vengeance against those monsters in the shape of gods that had waited so very, very long to come to its completion. Thanks to the Holy Grail, she would finally obtain it tonight.

She would embrace the very burning of the entire world.

* * *

It was time.

The Minami Parking garage was an unusual building, in Saber's eyes. Even though she had been granted knowledge of the modern world, and therefore knew its purpose, it was still strange to see such a tall, grey, industrial structure… especially given that it was placed upon one of the locations that could harbor the Holy Grail. And indeed, it was the spot that the Grail had chosen. The very location that held Avenger herself. Everything they had been doing for the past two days had been culminating towards this moment. No, it was more than that.

The entire Holy Grail War's progress had been building until this moment.

The girl samurai could feel her Master's small hand squeezing her own. Ai… to be honest… there was a part of the pale swordswoman that was feeling a fear unlike she had ever experienced before. The fear of separation. A niggling doubt that had never before plagued her, the idea that something could go terrible wrong and drive them apart. To split them from one another so soon after they had discovered just how they felt for one another. And yet…

Okita Souji had never been one to allow such doubts to stop her. She couldn't, not when she knew what was at stake.

"Ai," she began, "Once the fight has begun, you must simply remain at a distance until it ends. I'll be fine, I promise!"

She gave the small girl a smile, to reassure her as best she could. After a moment of hesitation, she returned the gesture.

"I-I'm about to see the true Okita Souji in battle, a-aren't I?" Ai commented. She was trying to lighten the mood, but it was impossible to ignore the way the brunette magus's voice wavered with each word. But that just meant she was overcoming her fears.

Saber squeezed her hand harder.

"That's right, Ai," she replied, with a nod, "I won't hold back, no matter what happens."

When Ai nodded now, it was somewhat morose. Indeed, their thoughts had drifted now to Lancer. There had been not a single way to purge the corruption from her. Tsubaki said nothing on the matter, but it wasn't difficult to see that Lancer's fate was painful for her.

But that didn't mean Tsubaki never wanted to see Lancer's face again, either.

And, indeed, no matter what had happened, Saber's intention to give Lancer that final, honorable duel had never faded away.

With every step, the shape of the apartment parking garage grew closer. By this point, they had all split into two groups. One group was composed of Rani and Alysival, in order to focus purely on penetrating Avenger's workshop for them. The other was composed of Tsubaki, Theomanius's familiar Marion, Ai, and herself.

Their job was, more or less, to fight. To kill. The things Saber was best at.

Her scarf fluttered in the wind. There was no way of knowing for sure what the Shadow Servants were planning, or rather what Avenger had planned for them. For the most part, their lack of any real will of their own made them rather poor at actual planning. Saber had seen it when they fought in the park, the phantoms had mostly been operating on attacks of opportunity, with only Assassin and Berserker showing any real inclination towards any sort of strategic maneuvering.

Berserker…

Hijikata Toshizo… A man she had called a friend and ally in life was now summoned as Berserker. That fact in and of itself wasn't necessarily shocking, though. His attitude in life, when it came to battle, it didn't make the idea of his qualification for Berserker something that came out of no-where. The fact that he had been summoned as a corrupted phantom, though…

It was hard to see him like that, but that didn't mean she would let it stop her. Avenger's plan of vengeance made it impossible for such considerations to get in the way. They could no longer let anything stop them.

The parking garage drew closer and closer. And then…

There was a tiny flicker of red light.

"Ai, get your head down and stay out of harm's way," Saber said, swiftly, glancing towards her Master and releasing her hand, "Support me from a distance with Inoue-san, I'll take care of the rest!"

"… Good luck, Souji-chan," said Ai, taking a deep breath and giving her Servant a weak smile, "I... I'll be here to heal you if you need it!"

This time, there was no time for confusion or hesitation. It was just as they had planned, anyway. Ai stepped back swiftly, as Marion and Tsubaki took places beside her as they quickly took cover in a nearby allyway. For this portion of the attack, there simply wasn't much they could do in order to directly intervene in battle, and so the best thing they could do was stay out of the way.

But she wouldn't be fighting alone against every Shadow Servant.

From that brief flash of crimson there came the sudden surge of fire and noise. A blazing arrow erupted across the night sky, tearing through the darkness towards Saber! It was Shadow Archer, there was no mistaking that fiery arrow for anything else!

In a flash, Saber had stepped to the side, the arrowhead biting into the concrete where she had stood moments before. It suddenly erupted, exploding with an enormous crack and cratering the concrete! But that wasn't all, even after dodging the first arrow there was another dozen brilliant red flashes of light from the top of the parking garage!

A hail of flaming arrows fell, arcing through the sky and tearing towards the street below. It was to be expected, though, even from the shade of a heroic spirit that qualified for the class! To an observer's eyes, Saber suddenly seemed to vanish as she darted forward, wind rushing past her. But this was not simply the speed she had possessed before… her Agility parameter had increased! The arrows, at this range, simply couldn't touch her!

Each arrowhead that buried itself in the street erupted into a column of fire, exploding and leaving a smoking crater where it struck. And yet, Saber was able to dance through the hail of arrows and the fiery blasts. Yes, clad in her haori, this was truly her body being pushed to its fullest capabilities! She did not have to cut the arrows out of the air, because they simply never got close!

At least, to begin with. It was clear that, as the girl samurai closed the distance between herself and the parking garage, that Shadow Archer was refining her aim after her initial barrage. Even if she was some sort of near-mindless shade, that sort of skill was to be expected from someone who could qualify for the class of Archer!

This time, the next arrow came far closer then she had anticipated! But still…!

Saber's blade flashed, splitting the fiery arrow down the center and sending both halves tumbling through the air. She switched her progress from forward to the side, darting past arrows that bit into the street around her, the moonlight and the light of the crimson, fiery projectiles catching the silver of her blade in the night with each flash of her blade as she cut down any that came too close for comfort.

But she wasn't facing only Shadow Archer.

There was the whinny of a horse, and the armored samurai who was Shadow Rider suddenly came charging from within the parking garage! Each thunderous impact of the horse's hooves left a print in the street below it as its eyes almost seemed to burn, its shadowy form cutting through the night. Even as Saber continued to dodge the arrows that had been sent hurtling through the air towards her, the horse was rapidly charging, its Rider pulling out a long spear and readying themselves to swing it down upon her right as they came into range!

But even now, Saber couldn't allow herself to fail! No, she had to draw out every single one of the remaining Shadow Servants! They had received word earlier that day that Shadow Assassin had been killed during an attempt to eliminate the Church's Overseer, which left the remaining opponents as Shadow Saber, Shadow Archer, Shadow Rider, and Shadow Berserker.

So she couldn't allow herself to be overwhelmed by just two opponents!

When Saber's blade met the spear, there was a shower of sparks as she forced it away! Her physical strength too had been increased by the wearing of her haori! Shadow Rider charged past her for a few moments as she sprinted forward, but she could hear them quickly turn to begin gaining on her once more. But that was fine. Shadow Archer and Shadow Rider had been drawn out. She had to get them all before she could do anything else…

Saber hoped she wasn't frightening Ai too much. But it was simple fact that her Noble Phantasm would work best when she had drawn all of her opponents into one battle before activating it!

There!

Saber exploded forward, immediately meeting the shade that was her counterpart the moment she noticed him emerge from the darkness. As expected, his sword immediately clashed against hers. He too qualified as Saber, after all. The parted, Saber's katana glinting… even that had been ranked up. The sword she wielded now was the very blade that had been used by Ai to summon her, the sword that she trusted and loved the most.

The man summoned as Shadow Saber was older, but that hardly dulled his skills. He was capable of responding to every thrust, every slash… if he had possessed his own mind, he would have been the kind of opponent that would have required her full attention in a duel.

But right now…!

Saber forced his blade back scant moments before Rider caught up to her, the thundering hooves and swinging spear narrowly missing her. But in the blink of an eye she had put distance between herself and both of the Shadow Servants. It was hard to ignore, now that she had come close to the parking garage, that Shadow Archer's attacks had ceased.

Before the platinum blonde swordswoman even had a chance to wonder why, the armored woman suddenly launched herself off the top of the roof and fell, her flaming naginata pointed downwards towards her! Saber sprang back, giving herself a healthy amount of time to evade the flaming blade of the polearm as it buried itself in the concrete and let off a burst of flames. The horned woman yanked her spear from the street in the blink of an eye and raised it in both hands, the blank look on her face jarring with her actions.

But now Saber and successfully lured out three of the Shadow Servants! There was only one more…!

And it wasn't long before he answered, as well.

"… Okita-san… you're wearing the colors of the Shinsengumi once more…" came Hijikata's voice from the darkness of the first floor of the parking garage. And, indeed, moments later the man had emerged, holding his rifle in one hand and one of his katana in the other. "But… but I am the one who will restore them! The Shinsengumi will continue on forever!"

It was… It was sad to hear him like this. But there was no way that she could let that give her even a moment's pause. He was already raising his rifle, as the other Shadow Servants began to move…

There was the crack of gunfire, and Saber jerked to the side, the bullet ripping past her through the air. Hijikata immediately charged forward and swung his katana down, but the girl samurai couldn't allow herself to be stuck in conflict here, with all four Shadow Servants and almost no cover! No, now that she had drawn them all out… It was time!

Saber skidded backwards from her momentum, even as the horse prepared itself to charge, Shadow Archer drawing her bow as Hijikata raised his rifle once more. Even Shadow Saber was taking a step forward…

There was a flurry of cherry blossom petal lights.

Hijikata froze, his eyes widening. Even now, when his very being was tainted by the corrupted nature of his summoning, the sight before him stopped him in his tracks. Just as Saber had suspected it would. As she packpedaled, one of Archer's arrows tore through the air, but due to having to suddenly account for Hijikata's position the Shadow Servant was forced to alter her aim, to her detriment.

What Saber gripped in her hand now was undeniably a familiar sight. It had been quite some time since she had last seen it, but she would never forget those colors, not that word. It was a sight that had been inscribed on her heart.

The red and white flag, with jagged patterns around its edges, adorned with the word 'Sincerity'. It was the banner that symbolized the organization that the platinum blonde swordswoman had been a part of from nearly the very beginning.

What Saber now held in her left hand was the flag of the Shinsengumi. She had known from the very start that it would bring Hijikata to a stop, even briefly, but that was hardly the reason she had chosen to use it.

It was the Noble Phantasm that could allow her to counter her many opponents, though it was not of her own power.

"The Flag…" she heard her friend speak, still stopped dead in his tracks. Shadow Archer was drawing her bow once more, Shadow Rider about to spur their horse on, Shadow Saber ready to draw back his sword and strike… but that was too late. Now that she had unveiled the flag, none of them would be able to put a stop to it.

It was time for her to bring the first stage of the assault to an end as soon as possible.

"This is the flag that stood for the beliefs we held in life, Hijikata-san," said Saber, as she raised the flag towards the moonlight, "The scarlet flag of the Shinsengumi. I'll show you the one thing you desire, before the end."

The pale girl took a deep breath, and prepared to send out to call. To all those she had known in life. Everyone who had called themselves a captain of the Shinsengumi. This was a call for their assistance, a request for the help of people she had trusted with her life. To people she had called her friends.

"This is the symbol of those I call my friends!" declared Saber, thrusting the banner skyward, "Makoto no Hata!"

There was a brilliant flash of light, as cherry blossoms seemed to fall from the sky, drifting delicately through the air. The Servants who had been about to attack were suddenly repelled, unable to strike what they couldn't see.

When the light faded, Saber was no longer alone on this battlefield. Indeed, she never had been, not with the presence of her Master. But Ai couldn't directly intervene in the fight. She wasn't a combatant, certainly not against these shades.

But now…

Each of the figures around Saber was clad in the very same haori that she was. For indeed, each of them was another of the captains of the Shinsengumi. The force that surrounded her was the very men she had fought alongside in life. In such company, she looked small and delicate in comparison to the other captains.

Archer immediately loosed another arrow, but one of the men at Saber's side immediately stepped forward and sliced the projectile out of the air.

"So even Hijikata-san has been summoned…" commented the man. "This is going to be a pretty strange battle, fighting against an ally like that. But if it's Hijikata…"

There was a chorus of swords sliding out of their sheaths.

"We'll always fight alongside you, Okita-san!"

Those words… that voice… Even if it was only for a short time… the feeling of being alongside her fellow Shinsengumi once again was something that the platinum blonde girl had desired since she took ill towards the end of her life. Being summoned as a Servant had given her the opportunity… this one chance…

It was quite obvious that, even using her Noble Phantasm, Saber was hardly capable of summoning her fellow Shinsengumi at their full potential. She was a Servant, and not one that possessed any capabilities when it came to the matters of magecraft. But she didn't need an army of fully-powered Servants. She needed those who would fight alongside her.

These enemies weren't full-powered Servants, either, after all! Saber darted forward with the rest of the Shinsengumi!

So many had answered her call… that fact alone had bolstered her morale! These were all her friends, and they thought the same way about her!

Shadow Archer immediately stepped back and drew her naginata, but it was too late. She was already set upon by two of Saber's summoned Shinsengumi, forced to defend herself with her weapon rather then back up to get range on her opponents and attack! Shadow Saber's robotic movements simply weren't enough to handle multiple opponents, no matter how skilled the true Servant would have been, and he was quickly being overwhelmed!

Even Shadow Rider, atop their mighty horse, suddenly found themselves hemmed in by katana-wielding samurai, unable to get the range they needed to charge. Indeed, as full Servants, the shades would have been able to put up a much stronger fight. But like this…!

This was just what Saber had intended!

And there was Hijikata. He stood there, in shock, as the Shinsengumi he so cherished surrounded his allies and took them on. And yet… he did not seem sad, or angry. No… somehow… somehow he wanted to see them again, even if they were now his enemies. Saber had guessed at it, to be honest. That seeing the Shinsengumi once more, fighting again as a unit… it would at the very least give Hijikata pause. At the very least for a moment he would be unable to act from the sheer emotions overcoming him, even corrupted as he was.

But as Saber came close, he suddenly lashed out with his blade, forcing her to swiftly defend, sparks flying as sword scrapped against sword! For the moment, the other Shinsengumi that she had summoned were preoccupied with overwhelming and defeating the other Shadow Servants, so in this instant it was simply Saber and Hijikata. She gritted her teeth slightly as the impact forced her to take a step back, but the swing itself, while it had managed to take her by surprise, didn't seem as focused as the vicious attacks that the Shadow Berserker had utilized before. To be fighting Hijikata in this sorry state… but Saber couldn't let herself stop.

"I… I…" she heard him begin, as he suddenly raised his sword again, "Advance, slash!"

This time, she was more prepared! As his blade came down, she was able to slide it along the edge of her katana and force it to the side, causing him to take a step back to evade whatever attack she could have launched to counter his assault. There was still some of his mind lingering in there, some of his will to fight! But Saber knew that, no matter how she felt about Hijikata as her friend, she needed to break through.

"This is the Shinsengumi you wanted to see again, Hijikata-san," Saber commented, as she drew her blade parallel to her eyes once more, "Before the end… I wanted you to see something like this. Not only so I could win, but for your sake as well."

Even the corrupted shadow before her was still showing moment of hesitation. Had Saber been a more duplicitous person, she could have struck at that moment… But she was not. Her words were genuine. Hijikata's painful desperation when he spoke of the Shinsengumi… if she had to kill him, she would do it while showing him the organization he felt he embodied one last time.

Behind her, the shot of a rifle sounded, and Rider fell from their horse, vanishing into a black mist with their stead. The shade had been completely overwhelmed, in the end, unable to defend themselves against so many attackers even if none of them were at their strongest. The horned Archer woman, too, was losing her battle, her automaton-like behavior simply no match for multiple enemies with their full range of thought. As she stepped back and attempted to counterattack, a blade suddenly pierced her chest. She fell backwards soundlessly, breaking apart into a black mist that faded away without ceremony.

Shadow Saber, in spite of that robotic behavior, was still managing to hold off his attackers. But in the end, it was obvious that the Shadow Servants were never intended to be a defense against this many opponents. Most of them simply lacked their original personality and intelligence, leaving them as automatons with a portion of a Heroic Spirit's power. No matter how the shade was capable of using his skills to defend himself, there simply wasn't a way for him to win.

He was pierced, and then broke apart into darkness moments later.

Sparks flew as Saber's sword clashed against Hijikata's once more, forcing him back. At the sight of the Shinsengumi assembled like this, even temporarily, Shadow Berserker was faltering. But none of them intervened. Saber wouldn't have wanted them to, and it seemed as if they understood without her even having to tell them. They were all people she called her friends and comrades, after all.

"I… I… I am the Shinsengumi!" the black-haired man cried, but his tone was no longer one of mad, desperate conviction. He almost sounded as if he had become resigned.

Having gained a bit of distance on the girl samurai, Hijikata's hand snapped up clutching a rifle. But even as he pulled the trigger, Saber's head snapped out of the way. Even with the crack of the firing of his rifle, Saber ducked beneath his gun. Even at point blank range, the agility she exhibited, that was offered by the wearing of her haori, made it possible to dodge a shot that should have been guaranteed to hit.

Saber thrust her katana forward, and it struck Hijikata in the chest. She shut her eyes tightly, feeling the blade easily pierce through his clothing and flesh and out the other side, impaling the shade of her friend.

This was no happy victory, but there was no other choice.

"Ah… Okita-san…" she heard Hijikata's voice, as she kept the blade buried deep in his chest. She heard his katana and his rifle drop to either side of him, before fading away. Even to a shade, there was no way to ignore that this was a lethal injury. She was certain that she had pierced his heart with that blow. "… The Shinsengumi… are here… aren't they…?"

For a few moments, Saber found herself unable to speak. But then, she took a deep breath before nodding slowly.

"… They're all here until your last moments, Hijikata-san," she replied, forcing herself to smile as she looked up at him. No matter what kind of person he had been, or corruption had been forced on him, he had been her friend. "We're all with you to until the very end."

"… You're… here…"

And with those last words, Hijikata's body began to break apart just as the others had, crumbling into a black mist that drifted into the air before fading away into nothing.

Saber lowered her blade, the blood that had been shed from piercing the shade of Hijikata Toshizo through the chest, too, fading into nothing, at her side. Once again it simply gleamed in the moonlight, and she quietly raised a hand to her cheek, rubbing at her eyes.

She didn't want Ai to see her tears. Not when they had come so very close to the final battle. And she still wanted to speak to the others, to her friends in the Shinsengumi that she had called to her side and had been instrumental in her victory.

After a moment, Saber straightened and turned towards the Shinsengumi she had summoned. The first among their number was a tall man with short hair, none other than the leader of the Shinsengumi himself, Kondo Isami. Even after everything else, she'd never stopped feeling loyal to the man, who had been one of the chief reasons that Saber had become part of the Shinsengumi as well. In that way, he could be called one of the catalysts for the change in her life. Of course, as one of the many Shinsengumi summoned by her Noble Phantasm, he did not have much longer to remain in this world. The Flag of the Shinsengumi was no Holy Grail, even weakened Servants could not be summoned by it indefinitely. But, for the moment, they were here.

"… There's no need to thank us, Okita-san," she heard Isami say, "Someone will always answer the call of our flag, you know that just as well as I do. I'd never think of rejecting my duty to a fellow Shinsengumi like you."

"… Still…"

She had, even for moment, fought alongside her fellow Shinsengumi once more. It was something that she had desired from the very beginning. Even if it wasn't to the end, it was still until they claimed victory. Until she had freed the shade of Hijikata and the others Shadow Servants were defeated as well. Saber took a deep, shuddering breath, wiping the blue and white sleeve of her haori across her eyes to banish the tears once more and looking towards her fellow Shinsengumi. Some of them were already beginning to fade away, their bodies growing transparent…

Really, Saber only had a chance to say one more thing to them.

"Thank you," she said, with a smile, "So much."

And then they were gone. Saber found herself wiping her eyes again, trying to keep it from being too obvious just how she'd been feeling before Ai emerged from her hiding place. She didn't want the girl she loved and her Master to see her lover and Servant in tears, not when the final conflict was upon them. She had to remain resolute and focused.

"… The Shadow Servants have been defeated, Ai," she said, calling to her Master. Indeed, moments later, Ai was the first to emerge from their hiding place, followed by Tsubaki and the ever-silent Marion.

"Souji… you did it!" declared Ai, in awe, "I… I knew you could, but I had no idea… that was amazing! You summoned all your fellow Shinsengumi as Servants?!"

Saber weakly smiled at her Master, scratching the back of her head.

"They answered the call, Ai-chan," she responded, "It was because of them that I won. I like being praised for my skills, but in this case they're the ones you should be thanking."

Ai was about to respond, but then she suddenly looked into Saber's eyes… without another moment's passing, the small girl quickly gripped her Servant's hand tightly. The girl samurai realized that she must have been unable to wipe away her tears completely.

"… A-ah… Ai, seeing me like this…" she murmured, averting her gaze slightly as she did.

"You've comforted me plenty of times when I was upset, Souji-chan," replied Ai, with a smile as she held her Servant's hand, "So I can do the same for you."

There was no need for explanation. Ai had already guessed at what had caused the pale swordswoman's tears. To fight alongside her Shinsengumi to defeat one of her friends, only for them to fade away… it was a bittersweet experience.

But now wasn't the time for that.

"Inoue-san, Marion-chan," Saber began, turning to face the tanned magus and the pale little familiar, "Have you received any word?"

"Have Alys-chan or Rani-san gotten through the bounded field?!" asked Ai, somewhat more frantically, almost as if Saber's question towards their allies had just reminded her to ask herself.

"I haven't," answered Tsubaki, and Marion's head quickly shook to indicate she hadn't received any word, either, "But that doesn't mean that they haven't. It might not be possible for them to quickly send us a message under their current conditions, if they're working as hard as they can to bore a hole in Avenger's defenses and hold it open."

While Saber still had learned little of magecraft, that certainly made sense to her, and Ai nodded to herself.

"Then how can we tell if we're able to get inside?" asked the silvery-eyed girl, glancing up towards the parking garage.

"Um… if I had to guess, the easiest defense for a magus from the Age of Gods like Avenger to put in place would be something that denies intruders rather than actively attacks them, since that means she doesn't need to expend any more time establishing anything but an area of denial," explained Ai. "It normally wouldn't be perfect, but if she's trying to focus on obtaining the Grail all she needs is to delay her attackers."

"… If that's the case, then she probably would have made it a bounded field that denies the concept of Servants," Tsubaki folded her arms, "Which would make it difficult or impossible for Saber to enter. That would leave us without her as a fighter. If she can get close to the building, then Alysvial-san and Rani-san have most likely been able to break through it."

Saber paused for a moment. A bounded field that denies the concept of Servants? Something like that would be a powerful defense, indeed, even if it wouldn't have been a perfect barrier like Ai had mentioned. But it also made it easy to test.

Before anyone could propose any sort of plan to check for the bounded field, the swordswoman separated herself from a surprised Ai, and made her way to the entrance of the parking garage in an instant.

Indeed, as Saber stepped up to structure, a strange sensation overcame her body. It was as if something was refusing her, as if the very building disbelieved in her ability to exist in this location. As if it was denying her existence no matter what evidence was presented to it.

And yet, it wasn't powerful enough to stop her. She was able to walk right through it with only a moment's delay, and it felt as if it was weakening by the second. They could make it inside!

"Ai, Inoue-san, Marion-chan, whatever barrier was in place, it's breaking down by the second!" Saber declared, urgently. "Alys-chan and Rani-san have done their job!"

None of the other three girls had to be told twice. Quickly breaking into a sprint, though Saber had to help Ai keep up after a moment, they were able to make it inside the parking garage. There was no telling how long the hole in the bounded field could be maintained, so there had quite simply been no time for hesitation.

Within the Minami Apartments parking garage, Saber could already tell there was a heavy, unnatural feel in the air. It only took a glance towards her Master and Tsubaki to tell they were feeling the same sensation, and Marion almost seemed to be wilting as she walked. Not only was the very air dense with mana, but on top of that there was a feeling of darkness. While it wasn't impossible to see, all the lights seemed to have dimmed or gone out completely.

There were parked cars lining the walls, and Saber didn't like to guess at what had happened to the people who had parked them. There weren't even any bodies. All she could hope was that Avenger had struck when no-one was in the parking garage.

"The air…" she heard Tsubaki's voice, behind her, "It's heavy with mana. I can't tell if it's because of Avenger or the Grail itself, but it's almost as if conditions inside this parking garage have become similar to those of the Age of Gods."

"Then…" began Ai, "It's something like Caster's Noble Phantasm?"

Tsubaki shook her head.

"I don't think so. It doesn't feel as if this has to do with the creation of Avenger's territory," she said, "Pandora has no legend telling of her creating her own domain. I think…. I think it may be the descent of the grail combined with her presence here. It's making this place thick with mana…"

Given how much Saber could feel it, she couldn't help but glance back to Ai, then Tsubaki, and finally Marion in concern. Ai and Tsubaki, no matter how worried Saber was, seemed to be able to handle the weight of the ambient mana, but Marion seemed sluggish, as if she was feeling the pressure especially hard.

It was at that moment that the girl samurai was able to recognize other details she had missed upon her initial entry into the parking garage. The lights were getting brighter, more vivid as the proceeded closer to the stairways down to the next level or up to a higher one, but in patches of shadows and darkness there almost appeared to be a dim red glow… And… there was no way to see outside. Beyond the parking garage was nothing but blackness. Was this Avenger's bounded field, as seen from inside of it?

It also felt as if their every movement was being watched. It was difficult to discern if this was because of the bounded field, the uneasy sensation of simply traveling through it, or if there was genuinely someone watching them. Naturally, Saber sensed the presence of Servants. Avenger… and Lancer both were here, after all… It wasn't possible to determine if one was closer and the other was further, or anything of that nature. She couldn't imagine that Avenger was unaware that her Shadow Servants had been eliminated, so at this point Saber believed that she had to be planning some sort of response.

There was just a question of what it could possibly be.

"If… if I'm not mistaken, the Holy Grail is going to begin its descent at the top of the parking garage or at the very bottom," said Ai, her golden eyes drifting upwards, and then down again, "So… that's where Avenger must be. … Um… Marion-san, do you sense anything?"

That's right. The little familiar had excellent senses. If it was at all possible to sense the source of this abnormal buildup of mana, it was likely that she would be the one capable of sensing it.

But in this dense 'fog' of mana…

Marion slowly, sadly shook her head. It didn't appear that she could pierce the fog to sense individual presences.

"I see…" Ai responded, her gaze drifting downwards slightly. "Then… Inoue-san, Souji, how can we find her?"

"How many levels are in this building?" asked Saber. The most ideal option she could think of was the one that was the fastest. The moment they reached the final level where Avenger was located, they would immediately be aware, so before that point it was a matter of searching for her as quickly as possible. Given that Lancer was going to be standing in their way, as well… "If we know that, we should start with the shortest path."

"There's three levels down and five levels up," said Tsubaki, quickly. "So it makes the most sense to go down first, then go up!"

But as the three girls hurried towards the stairway…

For a moment, Saber froze. She could feel it, now… but she didn't need to. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her blade more firmly.

There, barring there way to the next level, was Lancer. Her blackened armor was warped and altered, the once white and gold Trap of Argalia now stained red and black, but there was no mistaking her for anyone else. Even if Saber had not glimpsed her once before, in the throes of illness, she would have recognized her immediately.

She heard a sharp intake of air behind her, and recognized it immediately as Tsubaki.

There was the clank of armor as Lancer stepped forward, and Saber slid her feet into a ready stance, drawing her katana parallel to her eyes. But facing her like this… the knight had been such a staunch ally, to see her drenched in blackness as she now was, it…

"I knew you were coming," stated Lancer.

"Saber."

"Ai, Inoue-san," began the girl samurai, stepping into position to attempt to bar the way to them with her body as Lancer took a step forward, her silvery eyes fixed on the dark knight, "Stay back."

While Lancer had vowed not to harm other Masters, that was long before she had been corrupted by All the Evils of the World. As painful as it was, there was no way to truly know if she would hold to that vow any longer. Her entire existence had been twisted, the values she possessed could have eroded into nothing due to Avenger's Black Mud. But… even under that vicious grin she was exhibiting, was something of the Noble Knight of the White Plume still lingering?

"Worry not, Saber," replied Lancer, her crooked grin growing, "I have no intention of attacking your Master, nor Tsubaki. From the very beginning, the very first clash of this Holy Grail War, the inevitable end was for us to do battle one last time. Neither of them are to be involved in this duel, Saber."

Her tattered cape fluttered in a light breeze, her loosened hair drifting as well, as she raised her cavalry lance and pointed the tip towards the pale swordswoman as her dull golden eyes narrowed. Those words… even now, even after being engulfed in Avenger's black mud, Lancer did not desire to involve anyone but herself in their final duel?

"L… Lancer!"

The voice that had cried out from behind her was Tsubaki. The tanned girl had suddenly stepped forward, and the knight's pale gold eyes drifted from Saber towards the tanned magus. Tsubaki's hands where clenched at her sides, and she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"I… I'm still… d-don't you remember when you were summoned b-by me, Lancer?" came her desperate voice, her fists tightening, "We… we vowed to help one another win… we… we were going to claim the grail together! Then you got embarrassed when I bought those cute outfits for you, b-because I thought that… that it would be better for our relationship if you weren't in spirit form all the time…"

Tsubaki shut her eyes tightly as she averted her gaze.

"Y-you wanted to keep me safe… you wanted to make sure not a single innocent person was caught up in the Holy Grail War… y-you were like some kind of beacon of divine light in this world, a true hero… I… I wanted to spend more time with you, Lancer…"

Those tearful green eyes raised back up to fall upon the knight.

"… Please…"

For a moment, silence came over the parking garage. Lancer's sharpened smile faded.

"Inoue-san…" came Ai's voice, now, as the small girl stepped to her friend's side.

"… I am sorry, Tsubaki," responded the blackened knight. Her tone no longer sounded gleeful, there was no longer that hint of excitement in her voice at the prospect of fighting Saber. No, instead, it was a morose one. "But… no matter how anyone may feel, you are my Master no longer. There is nothing you can do."

She raised her weapon towards Saber once more, and the samurai sharply brought her blade up parallel to her eyes once more in preparation for an attack.

"L-Lancer… please… I… I'm so sorry…" Tsubaki stammered, her shoulders shaking.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Tsubaki," replied Lancer, "For I regret not a single moment of-"

Suddenly, the knight's eyes widened. Saber could hear it too, the sound of suddenly-bending metal and cracking rock… The ceiling was crumbling above them!? How?! Lowering her katana, she spun in place, reaching out towards her Master.

"Ai!" she cried, clutching the front of the small girl's clothing. With no other options, she threw the small girl back, as the ceiling began to fall. Ai landed with a yelp, but she had cleared the falling debris…! Ah, but Tsubaki was just out of reach! Even with her agility, she couldn't quite reach…!

There was suddenly a flash of blackened mana, and before Saber could realize what had just happened, Lancer was at her side… her armored hands reached out and suddenly shoved Tsubaki back, just as the ceiling fell!

Both magi had landed beyond the falling debris. Almost immediately, Saber could hear Ai's voice calling to her.

"Souji!? I… are you alright?! I-Inoue-san is here too, and Marion is okay! … I… did Lancer…"

"… I'm fine, Master, something like that wouldn't harm a Servant," responded the samurai quickly. But her eyes were fixed on the black knight now beside her. The ceiling, and a single car, had cut Saber off from both Ai and Tsubaki, and the little familiar as well. At least for the moment. It wasn't only that small section, she could see now that an entire line of debris had fallen, as if to cut the parking garage in half. There was no doubt in her mind that this had been deliberate, to attempt to kill one of the magi, or separate them from her.

But Lancer… Lancer had just acted to saver her former Master's life. There truly was a part of her, even corrupted, that cared.

"… And now, it is just you and I, Saber."

Lancer raised her weapon, her armored boots grinding along the floor as she turned on her heel to face the platinum blonde girl. Almost immediately, unable to dwell on anything else, Saber brought her blade up… and it was just in time. The side of the knight's cavalry lance suddenly slammed into her weapon, the sheer force of the blow sending Saber skidding sideways across the concrete! She didn't lose her footing, but that impact… there was no doubt in her mind! Just as wearing her haori caused her to become stronger, Lancer was more powerful now as well! Was it because of something Avenger had done…?

She shifted her footing immediately, drawing her blade parallel to her eyes once more. Nothing less could be spared. Even corrupted, this was the final duel between them.

From the very beginning of the Holy Grail War, this was how they had decided to end it.

Lancer's vicious grin returned.

"We won't be interrupted now, Saber!"

A spiral of blackened mana flowed around the form of the Trap of Argalia, and…!

* * *

"Souji…"

She could hear something happening beyond the rubble, but at this point it was impossible to tell just what it was. Ai had heard her Servant's response, but then… then it was a lot of commotion. Had she begun to engage Lancer already? It was the only thing she could think of… And just what had collapsed the entire section of the parking garage's next level like that? Now that the short brunette could get a good look at it, she could see that it had basically split the entire room in half. However, that didn't mean there wasn't some way around, further down!

As the girl turned towards the others, however…

Tsubaki was seated there, knees drawn up to her chest, tears in her green eyes. It had been hard enough to see Lancer like that again, and Ai couldn't even imagine how it must have felt for Tsubaki to see the corrupted knight for the first time. Her Servant, torn away from her and twisted… and… and yet, at the same time, Lancer had quite clearly acted in order to save Tsubaki's life, push her out of the way of the falling debris. Did the fact that her mind still existed in that capacity make it better or worse? It was impossible to tell, nor could she understand how Tsubaki would feel about it. If the same had happened to Saber…

No. This was the time that they needed to take action. Ai couldn't allow herself to be immobilized with feat and doubts. No matter how terrible it was, they had to make their way about around to meet up with Saber and stop Avenger!

And yet, when she spoke, she found herself hesitating.

"I-Inoue-san… are… are you okay?"

The other magus was silent for a moment.

"… Lancer… she still…" Tsubaki trailed off, hugging her knees closer to her chest, "She… still protected me, even now… she didn't want to let me… let me die…"

"Inoue-san…"

But… they couldn't just remain here. It was most likely that Saber was fighting Lancer on the other side of the debris wall, and every single moment counted when it came to stopping Avenger. They had to keep moving, even if the idea of trying to force Tsubaki to do so was making Ai's stomach twist into knots. Trying to leave her to mourn would have been the right thing to do, but…

"… I'm going, Ai-san," said Tsubaki, suddenly, wiping the tears from her eyes as she rose to her feet, "This isn't the time to mourn Lancer. It might… it might be painful, to see that wonderful girl I knew twisted like that… but for the sake of everyone, everywhere, this isn't something we have time to put off any longer."

Ai could see the way Tsubaki's hands had balled into tight fists, her shoulders shaking.

"We have to completely crush Avenger."

That certainly didn't stop Ai from being concerned, but they did have to get moving… if Saber was injured, it was difficult to try and support her from beyond the debris wall. There was no way of knowing if she was hurt like this…

"W-well stop her!"

As Ai turned to try and lead the way around the wall of debris, Marion tugged at Tsubaki's sleeve, but the girl quickly began to move as well. After a split second, the familiar began to follow as well.

The debris wall was strange. There was no way the upper floor of the parking garage could possibly have contained enough material to completely seal off this entire level by splitting it in half, but somehow it stacked all the way up to the ceiling. There was no way it happened unintentionally, but at the same time it didn't seem like only the material that composed the parking garage itself had been used to create this barrier. But regardless of that fact, they had to find there way around it! Saber could be in trouble…

And Lancer…

Behind both girls, Marion suddenly came to a halt. Wordlessly, she opened her mouth, attempting to get the attention of the two magi.

But it was too late.

By the time they turned, he had already descended. Hirata Genjiro leapt from the shadows, seemingly from no-where. In an instant, he was upon little familiar, and his leg slammed into her body with an ugly crack. Without a sound, her face contorted with pain, Marion was lifted off of the ground and sent hurtling through the air, slamming into one of the parking garage's walls hard enough to leave a crater.

When she fell, she didn't rise again.

"Marion!?" cried Ai. In an instant, the little girl had been injured, and possibly… she was possibly… no. Even from here, she could tell Marion was still breathing, but the sound of Genjiro's leg impacting against the tiny familiar's midriff had been an ugly one. Certainly, even internal damage was unlikely to kill a familiar, a being whose body was composed of mana, but the fact was that she was now incapacitated and vulnerable. But when Ai stepped forward to try and see if Marion could get up, Genjiro stepped forward, interposing himself between the two magi and the incapacitated familiar.

"The most dangerous threat has been neutralized," he said, simply, his cold eyes gazing at the two girls, "Even if she is not dead, it will be easy to finish her after the both of you have been killed."

"Hirata Genjiro…!" Tsubaki almost growled, stepping forward. But before she could even begin to reach into her bag, or perform any kind of attack, Genjiro was suddenly upon her! She was forced to raise her arms defensively, just managing to apply reinforcement at the last second before his fist slammed into her and sent her skidding backwards across the concrete floor, nearly knocked off of her feet. Seeing him now in action for the first time… Ai tried to analyze just what he had done. Some kind of reinforcement to a truly ridiculous degree…!

She stepped back when his gaze had shifted towards her, immediately passing her mana through her magic circuits in order to begin condensing moisture in the air. She had been so preoccupied with their situation that she had failed to realize just how wet the hair was, it was absolutely humid inside the parking garage. Was it some kind of side effect to Avenger's bounded field, or something else entirely? Regardless of the truth, that meant her spells were able to quickly condense the massive amounts of moisture in the air, in order to use it for her spells! If nothing else, that made the process of conjuring her ice quicker!

Indeed, the sudden chill in the air heralded the formation of her ice barrier, just as Genjiro thrust his fist towards her! The barrier immediately cracked, and she staggered back, but he hadn't been able to pierce it so easily!

Behind her, Tsubaki swiftly got to her feet, one arm raised defensively while the other reached into her bag, drawing out one of her air capsules once more between two fingers. Ai didn't know the first thing about hand to hand fighting, but it seemed like Genjiro's entire fighting style was extremely aggressive even after seeing only two blows. Was he going to use more magecraft, like the remote explosion?

"Ai-san, the entire way he fights is extremely aggressive," said Tsubaki, drawing closer to the short brunette as she did, green eyes remaining fixed on the man, "But I think if we can put forward a strong defense we'll be able to fight back!"

"R-right!" Ai nodded. She was frightened, she couldn't help it. But at the same time… she wouldn't allow herself to lose to someone like Hirata Genjiro! Not only because of the situation, but because of the kind of man he was, the terrible things he would do. The sort of person who would side with Avenger even though she desired to attack all of humanity. The kind of man who would manipulate others and attempt to drive them apart.

"…"

Genjiro, rather than attacking, to the surprise of both girls, straightened and cracked his knuckles as he looked them over. Of course, this was no reason to let their guard down, and Ai firmly maintained her ice barrier as her gaze remained fixed on the man.

"What a surprise," he commented, with a shrug of his shoulders, "After the truths I revealed to you, I would have expected the both of you to be unable to stand each other's presence."

Ai's hands tightened into fists. It was now obvious that Genjiro had only told the truth because he believed it would destroy their alliance. And it had worked. They'd lost Lancer because of it… But she wouldn't let him gloat over it!

"It's painful. It hurt to learn that Inoue-san's father was responsible… but…" the small brunette's fists clenched, "But none of that has anything to do with her! She's not her father! She spoke to me, she became my ally, not just because of guilt over what her family had done to mine, but because she wanted to! No matter how much it hurts, it's not Inoue-san's fault, and it never will be!"

Genjiro let out a sigh, as if to express disappointment with the fact that they had once again allied with one another.

"I see… Very well, then," he said, "Then perhaps there are still truths you would like to-"

"IGNITE!"

Beside her, Tsubaki suddenly hurled her air capsule towards the man. It glowed brilliantly for a moment, before exploding and releasing a massive amount of compressed air, cratering the concrete beneath it! Genjiro was forced to immediately spring away to avoid the brunt of the explosion, force sufficient enough to break the floor of the parking garage would certainly have been enough to shatter bone or even tear away a limb.

Before the light had even faded, Tsubaki had already drawn another of the air capsules from her bag, carefully taking aim at her enemy as she did.

"We're done listening to someone like you, Hirata Genjiro!" she snapped, "I can't deny that I should have told the truth, there's no way I was doing the right thing. But you only told the truth because you thought it would benefit you, not because you truly wished to be honest. We won't let you break out defense! We'll stop you, and Avenger too, you bastard!"

"Ah…? But I'm certain what I'm about to tell you wouldn't benefit me at all," he replied, cocking his head to one side as he did. "Certainly, you already know that that it was Inoue Tsubaki's father that killed Matsushita Ai's parents. But did you ever wonder why he did it?"

Ai stared in silence, even as she maintained her barrier. This was hardly the subject she wanted to be talking about, to say the least… The knowledge of the circumstances of her parents' death was already painful enough. It wasn't as if there was anything that could have changed this. What could Genjiro possibly say?

"The one responsible for the battle that resulted in the deaths of your mother and father, Matsushita Ai," he continued, "And the crippling of your father, Inoue Tsubaki, is me."

For a few moments, both Ai and Tsubaki stared in shock.

"What… what are you talking about?!" Tsubaki cried, before Ai could manage to respond.

"It's quite simple, Inoue," Genjiro replied, with a shrug, "I was another participant in that Holy Grail War. I saw my opportunity to play them against one another. The way I saw it, there was no way that any of them would escape such a conflict unscathed."

Genjiro's lips spread into a grin.

"I was quite satisfied to know that not only had he killed both of the Matsushita family's magi, but he had also sustained severe, irreparable damage to his legs. It was practically the perfect outcome, opening my path towards victory."

"You son of a bitch!"

Tsubaki stepped forward, gaze practically blazing with anger, just barely stopping herself. Ai could feel her shoulders shaking. She had started out disliking Hirata Genjiro from the outset, and her hatred had only grown for him since then. The attempted killing of Alysvial von Einzbern, the way he seemed to try and manipulate others without hesitation to meet his own ends… but now she had learned that he was, ultimately, the one who was responsible for the deaths of her parents, that anger was bubbling up to the surface. He had used the result of his own actions to manipulate then, he'd been the one who caused the deaths of her parents, he'd… he'd…!

"You're a monster, Hirata Genjiro!" cried Ai, even as she maintained her ice barrier, "An unforgiveable monster!"

She could only barely keep herself from stepping forward and trying to attack, her anger having surpassed her fear entirely. What she wanted to do, everything she wanted to do, was direct all her capabilities in Magecraft towards attacking the man who had orchestrated her parents' deaths by manipulating friend's father. The only thing that held her back was the fact that there was a part of her that realized there had to be a reason he was trying to provoke them. As much as she wanted to try and attack, that tiny little doubt just barely held her back.

Why would Hirata Genjiro tell them something that would most likely make them attack, unless it was exactly what he wanted them to do?

"A monster, you say?" Genjiro smiled, calmly, spreading his arms wide, "If that's what I must be to achieve my goal of showing humanity their value, so be it."

"Showing humanity their value!?" snapped Tsubaki, "Through manipulating others and siding with a monster who wants to kill everyone!? What kind of insane madman are you, Hirata Genjiro!?"

Tsubaki stepped forward again, reaching into her bag.

"Once, I found myself in a sea of fire, where everyone was dying around me," responded the man, calmly, eyes following each one of Tsubaki's movements as she carefully, slowly drew something from her bag, "People burned and died, consumed by a black mud of curses and hatred. And yet… I survived. Out of everyone, I survived. Do you understand what this means?"

Through the anger she felt at him, even now Ai couldn't help but be confused. What could he possibly mean?

"It means that I had value. It means that everyone who survived has value to their own existence," he continued, "The only way you can truly know that you have this value is through an experience like this, to the pain and suffering around you. The fact that you survived indicates that you are a person who possesses value."

For a few moments, Ai and Tsubaki stared in mute shock. The entire reason for his actions was because he believed that only suffering could show that a human had worth… that only pain was the path to having value? No… that wasn't it, was it? It wasn't personal hardship. He believed that only surviving something horrible could truly prove that you had worth. That only by seeing others die and suffer around you could you understand your own self-worth… what kind of warped and twisted mindset did Hirata Genjiro possess?!

"… So for you… for you… you did all of this, you hurt so many people and sided with Avenger… you manipulated Inoue-san's father into killing my parents…. B-because of some kind of delusion!?" Ai found herself crying out, her anger bubbling forth.

"Delusion?" asked Genjiro, "It is simply a belief forged by my own experiences. Knowing I have value was something like a gift, and therefore I have to spread it to others."

He spread his arms wide once more.

"Anyone who survives Avenger's flood of death will finally understand the worth of their lives."

Before anything else could happen, Tsubaki suddenly drew her hand from her bag, her fingers pointing as if to mimic a gun.

"Condense, crush, fire!" she shouted, and the air suddenly warped visibly somehow, twisting into a single point before erupting forward with a sound like a gunshot! The air bullet hurtled through the parking garage with a whistling sound! But something was strange… She just completely missed Genjiro!? But how? He didn't even move, and yet Tsubaki just shot her attack right past him… It didn't make any sense to her how something like that was possible.

But there wasn't much time to try and understand what had just happened. Suddenly, Genjiro ducked low and exploded forward, exhibiting speed that could only have come from extreme reinforcement of his own body! There was almost no time to do anything, to even react. All Tsubaki could do was take it, and hope her reinforcement stopped it from doing too much damage…

"T-Tsubaki…!" Ai cried, turning, trying to create an ice barrier. But it was too late. With an ugly crack, Genjiro's fist slammed into Tsubaki's chest, the sheer impact of the man's fist lifting her off the ground with a strangled gasp and sending her hurtling through the air backwards. Ai watched in horror as she arced, almost hitting the ceiling, before landing heavily on her back and letting out a cry of pain. Before Ai could try and move to her assistance, Genjiro's leg snapped out suddenly and caught the ice shield. This time, the cracks widened almost immediately, her barrier already having been weakened, and it shattered into fragments immediately!

All Ai could do was hold her arms over her body before the man's leg slammed into her, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying. Sheer, fiery agony shot through her midriff, but at the same time the impact had been dulled given it had to go through her ice wall. Her ribcage had just barely been spared becoming totally shattered from Genjiro's kick, and even then the pain was almost unreal. Ai landed heavily on her side, exhaling sharply with the pain coursing through her small frame. And Genjiro was almost upon her again…!

But before he could strike, suddenly Tsubaki was upon him! She'd already manage to rise!?

Even though she was currently unable to move from the pain radiating through her chest, Ai could see the brilliant lines of mana flowing across her limbs as she thrust her fist forward, surprising Genjiro and forcing him to divert his attention, twisting his body and raising one arm parallel to his head. Tsubaki quickly proved her reinforced body to be nearly as strong as Genjiro's, as resounding thud of her fist slamming into his arm signified him being nearly lifted off the ground, stumbling sideways as his boots skidding along the concrete floor! However, it wasn't enough, and without a moment's pause he turned fully to face the tanned magus.

Even in spite of the blazing agony raging through her torso, though it was slowly fading towards its center in the middle of her chest, Ai thought for the briefest moment that she saw some sort of necklace hanging from his neck, something that was glowing ever so faintly… but as she struggled to rise, she lost sight of it.

"Ai-san, are you okay? Can you stand?" asked Tsubaki, quickly stepping to the small girl's side and reaching her hand out towards her in order to help her up. Though her body was protesting, the ice barrier had prevented her from suffering any serious injury, and Ai was able to take Tsubaki's hand in order to pull herself to her feet. With a jolt of fear, Ai realized that if she had not managed to maintain her barrier until being attacked, Genjiro's kick would likely have crushed her ribcage and killed her instantly.

"… I-I can stand," the small brunette managed to reply, wincing. But the fact that she had managed to keep her barrier intact until Genjiro struck meant that, as painful as it was, she was still able to move. It was now fading into a dull throbbing, as Ai straightened and inhaled. That brought with it another twinge of pain, but she was able to through it this time… just in time for Genjiro to step forward and suddenly erupt with motion as he attacked again!

This time, Ai managed to pull herself together just in time, her circuits blazing with mana as she gathered loose moisture in the air and bent it into the form of a barrier once more, chill filling the air as she positioned it between Genjiro and herself as quickly as she could. But too late, she saw a pinpoint of light materialize just ahead of her barrier, rather than the man simply trying to hit it again… and only realized what it was right before it happened.

"… Ah… duck!" she cried desperately, and both Tsubaki and Ai barely managed to crouch behind the ice shield as the light suddenly twisted in on itself and erupted into a blast of heat, noise, and sound! Ai's ice shield was shattered in an instant, and both girls were explosively knocked off their feet and sent back several meters, Ai landing heavily on her back with a gasp of pain. But this time, Tsubaki stayed on her feet, catching herself and almost immediately snapping her hand up to fire another air bullet towards Genjiro!

"Fire!" Tsubaki cried, the air once again warping into a single, visible point before rocketing towards the man! But just as before, somehow, inexplicably, even though Genjiro didn't seem to dodge at all, it missed!

Tsubaki gritted her teeth. It wasn't as if he was perceiving where her spell would impact, it was as if it simply couldn't hit him somehow… as if something was making it impossible for him to be considered as a target.

This time, Tsubaki didn't even ask before grabbing Ai's shoulders and pulling the tiny girl to her feet before Genjiro could mount another attack. His aggressive style and explosive magecraft… it was making the madman difficult to counter. And truly, he was quite simply insane. The idea that someone would want to help unleash something as horrible as that muck that was All the Evils of the World across the entire planet, to slaughter billions of people, simply because he believed the survivors would discover their own self-worth through the deaths of so many others… it was absolute insanity of the highest degree.

But there wasn't any further time to try and consider Genjiro's mental state. He was trying to stop them. He was trying to kill them.

"… As you can see," Genjiro said, calmly, straightening, "The difference in our abilities is far too great. If you surrender, I shall simply make it quick."

"Like hell, you bastard!" snapped Tsubaki, "Why would we ever surrender to you?!"

"We're here… we're here to stop Avenger, n-no matter what!" added Ai, fixing an intense glare on Genjiro, "That means there's no way we can let you stop us… S-Saber is fighting too, so I won't stop!"

The man slowly slid himself into a ready stance once more, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Then you'll both die together."

As Genjiro squared himself up to attack, Ai's mind raced. She knew she had seen something dangling from his neck, as if he had it tucked in and hidden before it somehow came loose. She knew it had been glowing faintly, as well… Was it some kind of mystic code? Was it a mystic code that functioned as a counter to ranged projectiles and magecraft? If that was the case… if that was the case…!

There, she could see it again even as Genjiro began to move! A glowing necklace dangling from around his neck! She could even feel it, somewhat, though the density of the mana in the atmosphere made it more difficult. There was no doubt in her mind that it was some sort of mystic code! Ai had to hope that she was right, though…

Taking a deep breath, as Genjiro charged forward at blinding speeds, Ai stepped forward. She had to time this perfectly… Even as Tsubaki stared in confusion…

Ai magic circuits flared to life once more, as she thrust one hand forward. As Genjiro bore down on her, she gathered the moisture in the air once more… but this time it wasn't a barrier. No, she was going through another single-action spell. All she needed was that one moment this time…!

Ice gathered into a single small orb right in front of her, tightened and compressed… and just as Genjiro raised his fist, it erupted! Exploding into thousands of tiny fragments and taking him by surprise! It couldn't do any real damage, but it wasn't as if he knew that…!

Her hand snapped out, grasping for the glowing necklace, and when her fingers found it, she gripped it and pulled as hard as she could! With a snap, it came free in Ai's hand!

"Kuh?! You…!"

As he tried to kick her away, Tsubaki stepped forward and thrust a punch directly into his center mass! A rush of air exploded from her fist, and surprised, Genjiro was sent skidding backwards!

The glow of the necklace faded.

Even as Genjiro regained his fighting stance, seeming quite unharmed, now Ai knew…

They could beat him!

* * *

Blackened mana spiraled around the Trap of Argalia's cylindrical form. In an instant, it gathered at the tip and was unleashed, a red and black beam of twisting destruction that tore its way through the parking garage with a strange howling sound. But if Saber had been taken off-guard and consumed by an attack like that, she could hardly take pride in her abilities any longer. She could hardly call herself someone worthy of being Ai's Servant, of having Ai's love. Of being Lancer's opponent, even now after her corruption. Darting to the side, she could practically feel the miasma of death being put off of the blackened mana. Behind her, it tore through one of the supports of the parking garage, though the damage wasn't enough to cause anything to collapse.

It only took less than a second for Saber to clear the gap between herself and Lancer!

The mana was still swirling around Lancer's cavalry lance as she swung it to meet the blindingly-fast thrusts of Saber's katana! Both weapons struck one another with a strange echoing sound and a shower of sparks, as the girl samurai attempted to force her way past the black knight's defense by sliding her katana along the underside of the Trap of Argalia! But Lancer was hardly going to be halted by that, mana flaring around her weapon once more. This was different from the way she had used the divine mana before.

It was as if with every swing and thrust, she was pouring this blackened mana into her weapon! She had a nearly endless source of it…!

Saber stepped back, and before she could attack there was a roar of magical energy as Lancer swung her weapon downwards! The silver-eyed swordswoman was barely able to evade the pulsing, coursing destructive wave, stepping to the side and attempting to thrust her blade forward towards her opponent's undefended right side! But before she could, Lancer twisted herself immediately, and metal met metal once more, sending Saber's attack off-course! But now that she had her haori… she wasn't so easily deflected! The edge of her katana scrapped along the Trap of Argalia, and another thrust forced Lancer to step back rather then attempt to attack, to evade her torso being skewered by the tip of Saber's blade!

But that didn't mean that Lancer wasn't incapable of answering this assault with one of her own. That same blackened magical energy once again choked the form of the Trap of Argalia like a toxic gas as she thrust the lance forward, swiftly striking out at Saber! Angling her katana, using the side and the sharp and blunt edges of the blade, Saber was able to block the first strike, and the almost immediate follow-up blow as well. But the third struck the flat of her katana exceptionally hard, nearly knocking Saber off her feet and sending her skidding backwards across the parking garage! She stopped just before one of the parked cars filling the building, and with a blast of black mana Lancer rocketed towards her, darkness swirling around her weapon like a drill! There wasn't truly any good way to counter, so instead Saber waited until the Knight of the Black Plume was almost upon her before seeming to vanish, air currents whipping past her as she evaded the attack by darting to the left.

Lancer's thrust weapon pierced the front of the car, the destructive magical energy igniting something inside. In an enormous blast of heat and sound, the vehicle exploded! The force threatened to knock Saber off her feet, but she held fast, raising her hands as the front half of the car was rent apart from the inside, flames leaping into the air!

There was no time to be distracted by such a fiery display. This was the final battle with Lancer, their final clash before the end. There was no way she knew of that could allow her to free Bradamante from this corruption… but that painful idea couldn't take her focus.

Lancer was already emerging from the flames, unscathed. It was only natural, those flames were incapable of harming a Servant, after all. A grin adorned her face, a grin so unlike the person she had been before. And yet…

"This is exactly what I envisioned, Saber!" declared Bradamante, that sharpened grin widening, "A final duel between us, before the very end! You have so perfectly granted my desires, samurai of the east!"

Saber took a deep breath as she brought her blade up parallel to her eyes once more, squaring up her feet as her silver-gold gaze fixed itself on Lancer once more.

"And yet… this isn't what I saw, Lancer… seeing your very nature twisted like this…" she responded. Lancer had been her ally, she had been a dedicated, power, and yet pleasant and kind person. But now… that grin…

And yet… she had saved Tsubaki from being crushed to death. Even in this warped state, she had done what she could to protect her former Master.

"… There is nothing that can be done about that, Saber," stated Lancer, her gleeful tone, her grin, fading away entirely. She raised her cavalry lance, looking the pale sword-wielding Servant over.

"You have certainly become stronger, Saber. Your speed is even more outrageous, as well," commented the black knight, "But your spirit origin, the core of your existence, doesn't seem to have changed."

Saber's eyes remained fixed on Lancer. This brief pause had given her an opportunity to consider her next move, and while she was suited to attack and defense both she elected not to recklessly charge her opponent immediately. No matter how corrupted Lancer had become, it was clear that she still possessed every bit of skill she had previously.

"Then… that coat?" suggested Lancer, eyeing the blue and white of the Shinsengumi haori, "That must be it. That coat is a Noble Phantasm that enhances your capabilities. But… no. It is not the coat at all, is it? Alone, that coat has no power. It is only when you wear it that it gains any meaning."

The black knight stepped forward, her grin returning.

"Self-suggestion. Your mind knows that you are in your most perfect state wearing that coat, and therefore your body becomes stronger," she continued, raising the Trap of Argalia, "Excellent, Saber!"

She pointed the tip squarely at Saber, who braced herself, prepared to dodge if there was even the slightest tensing of Lancer's limbs, the smallest sign of her preparing to attack. Indeed, that was exactly how her haori functioned. It had no special abilities, no magical powers to make her stronger. It was just as it had been in life, an article of clothing that symbolized the organization she belonged to. But it was those colors that had meaning to her. The blue and white of the Shinsengumi. The haori's function as a Noble Phantasm wasn't to use some sort of magecraft to reinforce her, it was to make her think she should be stronger when she wore it. With such conviction that she truly became more powerful.

That was the tool she intended to use to defeat Avenger. But first, she had to surpass Lancer, as well.

"You have even drawn a different sword. It would have been a disappointment if nothing had changed since our first clash!" declared Lancer, pale gold eyes glazing as she grinned, "You were skilled then, but our final duel should push the both of us to our limits, should it not?!"

Angling her body sideways, Saber slowly found herself nodding. Indeed, if the course of the Grail War had been normal, she would have wanted to bring every single ounce of her capabilities out for the final duel against Lancer. It was what the knight deserved, a show of Okita Souji at her best.

But now…

"Lancer… this isn't what I wanted our duel to be like," Saber said, "I wanted us to fight on good terms, to know that we would end the war feeling like whoever won deserved the Holy Grail. We were supposed to fight as former allies who believed in one another, not like this… not after Avenger has twisted you like this…"

It wasn't the idea of killing Lancer. That was something Saber had accepted from the very beginning of their allegiance. The Holy Grail War could allow for only one victor, and the girl samurai knew that in battle it was victory that one should strive for above all else. It was the fact that Lancer had become tainted.

But for that brief moment, hope rose in Saber's heart. Lancer still expressed some shadow of her former self. Her rescue of Tsubaki from the falling debris, her desire to have a final, proper duel with Saber…

"But… I know you, Lancer! This isn't the path you wanted to take, is it?" she asked, stepping forward carefully. She wouldn't foolishly lower her guard. "You can't possibly want to let Avenger to attack all of humanity. You saved Inoue-san's life, didn't you?"

For a brief moment, the black knight was silent. Then…

"There is no longer any connection between those two actions," she said, simply, her grin fading once more, "I do not wish to see my former Master die, but I will not abandon Pandora. Even considering the darkness of her ideals, she is broken. I cannot break her further."

There truly was nothing that Saber could say to her any longer. No words that would free her. Before the silvery-haired swordswoman could even attempt to speak up once more, there was another explosion of blackened mana that sent Lancer rocketing towards her!

This time, Saber darted forward once more, angling her blade and body so that the side of her katana scraped along the side of the Trap of Argalia with a shower of sparks! But the blackened knight twisted in placed, armored feet scrapping along the concrete floor as she did, slamming her lance against Saber's sword and forcing the girl's attack to the side!

As Saber shifted her footing, turning, she didn't expect to suddenly have Lancer's armored leg meet her waist. With a surprised gasp as a shock of red-hot pain suddenly shot through her midsection, Saber was lifted completely off the ground and sent hurtling through the air! She landed on her side, but instead of being stunned, in spite of the dull throbbing now radiating up her left side, Saber immediately rolled. Had she failed to move, the tip of her enemy's cavalry lance would have pierced her body. She caught sight of it biting into the concrete she had just been lying upon less than a second ago!

But as Lancer drew the Trap of Argalia from the floor, Saber sprang to her feet and thrust her katana upwards, aiming for Lancer's chest! Even as the knight attempted to step back and out of range, it wasn't enough! The tip of Saber's katana scrapped along Lancer's black and red armor and bit into it!

But she missed. Certainly, the blade not only pierced Lancer's armor, but cut her flesh beneath. But the strike had still been made less potent by Lancer's dodge, and by her armor, instead slicing into the black knight's shoulder.

And it was almost immediately retaliated against.

As Saber drew her katana back to avoid overdrawing herself, Lancer swung the Trap of Argalia down like a club with a shout, blackened mana spiraling along its length once more! There was little Saber could do other than force the blade of her sword into the path of Lancer's blow, bracing her katana with both hands as she did!

The shock of the impact reverberated through her arms, and she could feel the concrete floor beneath her cracking and giving way, metal support within bending…!

Saber was knocked clear through the floor to the next level down with a cry of surprise! She landed, back-first, on the hood of a large vehicle, the sheer speed and force behind her impact caving the entire hood inwards. But she wasn't seriously harmed, and there was no time to hesitate when Lancer was still pursuing her, leaping down from the level above!

Springing up, the girl swordswoman flipped backwards off the roof of the car, bringing her sword up again once more. She had only barely avoided the knight's followup attack, as Lancer drove the tip of her weapon through the top of the car and blasted a wide hole through the entire vehicle! There was no denying it, with Pandora providing Lancer's mana, she was able to enhance her strength even more…

The Black Knight dragged her lance through the ruined vehicle, ripping the door off of its hinges and sending it hurtling towards Saber. But the girl samurai's blade flashed, the edge slicing through the steel like butter and sending both halves tumbling away, sparks flying as both halves of the chunk of metal were sent skittering across the concrete floor. But Lancer was almost immediately following the door she'd ripped away from the car, the tip of her weapon swirling with blackened mana as it was thrust towards Saber's midsection! Swiftly, Saber used the side of her katana, gritting her teeth, to force threatening tip of the cavalry lance away from her, the grating sound of metal scraping against metal echoing through the parking garage as Lancer's momentum carried her past the swordswoman.

But even with Saber's incredibly high agility, she wasn't able to turn before Lancer could swing her weapon to the side, the Trap of Argalia slamming into Saber's back! The samurai let out a strangled gasp, her silver-gold eyes widening as she was sent tumbling forward, pain immediately shooting up her back as she slammed to the ground, landing on her front! For a brief moment, the pale girl was stunned, struggling to force herself onto her feet as Lancer spun on her heel.

As the Trap of Argalia slammed downwards, Saber rolled, barely managing to avoid the tip of the cavalry lance before it pierced through her back! She sprang to her feet, spinning in place to face her opponent and placing both hands on her katana's hilt, drawing the sword parallel to her eyes once more. It was only when she had once again shifted into a ready stance that she realized that the very tip of Lancer's weapon had still managed to bite into her side, leaving a bloody gash through her kimono. The pain was becoming apparent now, searing through her right side, but she couldn't let herself become distracted now!

Saber took a deep breath, eyes narrowing as her blade flashed forward. She darted towards her enemy with a sound like a gunshot, and just before she made contact, just before Lancer raised her weapon into Saber's path, the silvery-haired samurai seemed to vanish once more, stepping to the knight's side in the blink of an eye and lashing out with a flurry of violent stabs, forcing Lancer back onto the defensive as Saber's scarf fluttered in the air currents of her motion! The cry of each strike of metal on metal slamming against one another exploded through the parking garage as Saber assaulted her opponent with a series of stabs.

They weren't intended to pierce her opponent individually, but if she could overwhelm Lancer's defenses…!

But Lancer suddenly thrust her weapon forward, pushing Saber's katana to the side as she did! Even as Lancer attacked, however, Saber was already moving, and she suddenly sprang through the air! The girl samurai's blade lashed out, as she went over her enemy, as the knight was forced to defend herself by swinging her cavalry lance back up and using it as a last-second barrier to attempt to deflect the aerial slashes!

When Saber landed, she couldn't avoid Lancer's attempted counterattack, using the side of her cavalry lance like a blunt instrument and slamming it down on the other Servant's blade, metal crashing down on metal as the platinum blonde girl once again used the flat of her sword as a defense. This time, the impact was still strong enough to launch Saber backwards across the room, sending her slamming into a wall from the blow! Moments later, Lancer was upon her, blackened mana spiraling around the Trap of Argalia like a drill once again!

When it buried itself in the space on the wall that Saber had once occupied, there was an explosion of debris as the wall itself simply fragmented, shattered hunks of concrete scattering across the room, some shattering the windows or denting the doors and hoods of nearby vehicles. But that attack bought Saber precious seconds to strike! Shifting her footing, her trusted katana flashed forward, scraping along and then through Lancer's midnight armor!

The Black Knight realized what Saber was about to do at the last moment, managing to raise her arm into the path of the sword's strike rather then take it to her upper body. Sparks flew at the impact, and Saber knew that the blade of her sword cut into Lancer's flesh!

But it wasn't enough. The Knight's vicious grin seemed to return as she suddenly used that same injured arm to drive her elbow sharply into Saber's side, knocking the wind out of the platinum blonde girl and leaving her gasping as she suddenly rocketed back once more! This time, however, she managed to land firmly on her feet, gulping in air quickly to avoid that moment of weakness being taken advantage of!

"Fantastic, Saber!" cried Lancer, thrusting her weapon skywards, "This is the very duel I imagined! Who shall win, of the two of us!? Samurai of Japan, or Knight of France?!"

Saber drew her katana up to the level of her eyes once more, body tensing as she prepared to charge.

"I have to win, Lancer," she insisted, her blade gleaming as she did, "I have to defeat Avenger, no matter how you attempt to stop me. No matter how you say she's broken. She still desires to attack and kill all of humanity, so I can't just stop here! I can't let Avenger have her revenge!"

"Well said!" declared the corrupted Lancer, black mana swirling and coalescing around the form of the Trap of Argalia once more, "After all, what would be the point if one of us wasn't trying out hardest? This is our final clash!"

There was a flash of blackened mana, and Lancer swung the cavalry lance down, unleashing a beam of darkness that ripped through the parking garage in an instant. But even that couldn't catch Saber, as she managed to dart to the side in the blink of an eye!

She had to find an opening soon!

The longer the fight went on, the more it tipped in Lancer's favor. She had armor, and more endurance. While Saber knew she could continue to fight, she felt confident in her skills, it was simple fact that Lancer had these assets when it came to this battle. And that was coupled with the infinite mana of Pandora's Box… Saber knew there was only one potential way to bring the fight to an end. She had to kill Lancer. No matter how much she regretted it, she had known this war would end like this long before now. It was worse only because Lancer was corrupted, not because of the fact that Saber had to slay her former ally.

When the black beam of magical energy faded, a gash was revealed in the floor of the parking garage, glowing white-hot. The point of impact on the wall, too, was now a crater, revealing melted metal supports and blazing concrete.

Saber darted past the groove that had been ripped in the floor and lashed out once more, an upwards slash followed by a flurry of jabs. Again and again, there was the harsh sound of metal on metal. She had to surpass Lancer. She had to make it past her in order to stop Avenger! But the knight was steadfast, like a wall. Each time she nearly got a solid blow in, Lancer was able to use the blackened mana erupting from around the Trap of Argalia to blast her away, or take advantage of her armor. She was preventing herself from being seriously harmed, but she wasn't gaining any ground, either…

Saber had to find that opening. Not only would she be able to reach Avenger, to stop her…

But she would be able to free Lancer from this terrible corruption. Deep down, Saber knew it was the only way. She possessed no special abilities, nothing that could free the black knight from the effects of being consumed by All the Evils of the World. Part of her suspected that Lancer herself knew it as well.

That it was, deep down, one of the reasons she so desperately wanted to complete their duel.

Saber stepped back just as Lancer's weapon came slamming down, cratering the floor where had just been standing, a blast of magical energy erupting from the impact and cratering the floor once more! It was more power than Lancer displayed before previously, even during this duel…!

But at the same time, the longer the battle went on, the clearer and clearer it became that some of Lancer's finesse had been sacrificed. Sheer power poured off of her every attack, but she wasn't as fast, her strikes not as precise. That blackened magical energy was both empowering her, but hindering her as well.

Saber had to find that final opening, the moment where she could take the final blow… but with every time she struck, it felt as if Lancer's weapon was coming closer and closer to making a direct hit!

No matter how confident the swordswoman was in her own skills, the fact remained that it wasn't possible to fight forever, and even if it was Saber couldn't afford to. She had no way of knowing how close Avenger was to obtaining the Holy Grail, but with every moment that ticked by it became more and more likely that she would claim it. Saber still had to find that opening, that split second in which she would be able to strike…!

Blackened mana streaked through the air in a trail behind Lancer's weapon as she charged, forcing Saber to defend once more, a shower of sparks flying from the impact of the Trap of Argalia. But just as swiftly as the knight had attacked, the samurai too lashed out, driving her sword towards Lancer again and again and forcing her onto the defensive. But that, too, didn't last, as with another blast of mana from the cavalry lance Saber was once again sent reeling, forced to defend from Lancer's vicious assault, each blow sending a shock up her arms. But she could tell her agility was foiling Lancer's attacks as well… but this extended stalemate couldn't continue! Even the blows they managed to strike against one another were glancing and non-lethal, indirect!

But the longer the battle went on, the more blackened mana was gathering around the Trap of Argalia. Another blow from that lance… it wasn't going to be a minor injury, even if it was only a glancing blow. It was as if Lancer was preparing for an even more devastating and deadly attack… Saber could feel it.

With another blast of magical energy, Saber was sent skidding backwards across the parking garage. But she didn't lose her footing, instead sliding her feet into a ready stance and taking a deep breath, raising her katana parallel to her eyes once more. From this distance, if she could bait Lancer into a ranged attack, then perhaps… perhaps…!

"Excellent! Absolutely perfect!" declared Lancer, her pale gold eyes wild with glee, "You remind me of someone I once new long ago, Saber, fighting me to an absolute standstill! You may even overcome me, and have your path to that poor, broken girl."

Suddenly, the knight sighed, her gaze softening.

"Perhaps if you find victory, it was meant to be that way. For her sake, and everyone else's."

The girl samurai took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on Lancer's blackened form. This felt as if it could be her very last chance. The memory of Lancer's capabilities, her dedication, everything flowed through Saber's mind as she readied herself.

This would be the end. No, it had to be the end, didn't it?

"Lancer, with one final blow, I'll bring this to an end and free you," she said, her silvery-gold eyes narrowing. She knew that was how it had to be. She had to find that single, infinitely brief moment where she could end it.

Lancer pointed the tip of the Trap of Argalia towards Saber.

"The end, indeed, Saber!" she declared, blackened mana spiraling around the lance and growing, more and more, "This is our last moments together in this world, in these temporary bodies! One of us must be destroyed!"

That black magical energy grew more and more, a swirling vortex of destructive power. It was greater in scale then anything that Lancer had used previously, and in a moment of shock, Saber realized that Lancer was preparing to use her Noble Phantasm! Even the concrete around her was beginning to melt, warming as uncontrolled mana radiated from the darkened cavalry lance. To use something that destructive in an enclosed location like this…!

Saber took a deep breath.

And charged with a sound like the firing of a gun, an immense backdraft erupting from her movement.

Time seemed to slow. As Saber approached Lancer, the black knight began to swing the Trap of Argalia upwards. By this point, the mana swirling around the weapon was like a storm, a raging typhoon of darkness that threatened to devour everything around it. That vicious grin had returned to the knight's face.

The cavalry lance began to fall.

There was another explosion of movement around Saber, just as she began to enter Lancer's range. Just in that split second before Lancer called the name of her Noble Phantasm. In that last possible moment, she used her capability to move as if the earth itself had been reduced, to seemingly vanish and reappear at her destination.

The momentum alone was enough.

The tip of Saber's blade pierced Lancer's armor at her chest, on her left side. It plunged through her body in an instant, and it erupted through her back coated in blood.

The samurai only stopped when her sword was buried up to its hilt her in former ally's chest.

As quickly as it had arrived, the blackened mana swirling around the Trap of Argalia suddenly dissipated, swirling outwards and fading away.

As Lancer stepped back, dropping her weapon, Saber stepped forward, keeping her katana lodged firmly through the other Servant's upper torso.

"Ah… ah…"

For a moment, the only sound was the blood dripping from the tip of Saber's blade.

"… You're free, now, Lancer," she said. She stepped back, drawing her katana from Lancer's body, stepping back and straightening. There was little she could do to feeling anything like pride in this victory… but she had freed Lancer from her nightmare, hadn't she?

It had been the only way that Lancer truly could be freed.

"…"

Slowly, the knight raised a hand to her chest. When she touched the hole in her armor, she could see the blood clinging to her gauntlets. By now, the Trap of Argalia had faded away entirely, dissipating into golden lights.

"… So you won, Saber…" the knight commented, slowly. When her gaze drifted back towards the pale swordswoman, Saber could almost be certain she saw a faint smile on Lancer's lips.

"This is to be how my Holy Grail War, and this second life, ends…"

When Lancer fell to her knees, Saber immediately stepped forward, dropping her katana at her side to place her hands on the other girl's shoulder, kneeling with her.

"Lancer, I… I'm sorry," she averted her gaze as she spoke, "The fact that it had to end this way for you, for you to be held under Avenger's sway… It should never have had to be like this."

It was almost as if the knight hat simply tilted her head in confusion.

"… We knew… from the start that this was how it would be, Saber," she replied, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, "That it would end with our duel to the death. In that way, nothing has changed."

Saber's grip tightened on Lancer's shoulders. Everything about it had changed, even if she had known from the very start that she had to kill Lancer to claim the Holy Grail. But now…

"There is no apology that you must make," continued Lancer, smiling weakly, "Congratulations, Saber. You defeated one of the foremost of France's Knights. Take pride in your victory, Samurai of the East."

Saber could see those pale gold eyes growing duller, Lancer's eyelids drooping. She could feel the life leaving the knight's body.

"Go forth… and show that girl her vengeance… isn't worth it…"

There was one last ragged breath…

Lancer was gone.

Moments later, her body had faded away in Saber's arms.

The swordswoman raised herself to her feet.

"Even in darkness, you truly were a knight worthy of legend, Lancer."

With that, the samurai retrieved her katana. There was no further time to mourn. She hesitated only a moment, given her separation from Ai… but she had to hope her Master could make her way around. There just wasn't time.

She had to stop Avenger.

* * *

He almost seemed unstoppable.

Depriving Hirata Genjiro of the Mystic Code that had clearly been defending him from magecraft, at least when it was a spell made to attack from a distance, hadn't been nearly enough to even begin to slow him down. Ai could barely understand how someone, a human, could be capable of such extremes. It was absolutely insane. His body had to be reinforced to a degree that could only be considered an impossibility, it was the only explanation that the magus could possibly consider to be correct.

The last air bullet that Tsubaki fired tore just over the man's shoulder, the force of its passing ripping through his clothing and even tearing out some of his hair. But it had failed to do any real damage, Genjiro hadn't even flinched as he suddenly darted in, thrusting his fist upwards. Even as Tsubaki blocked, the sheer air pressure of the blow slammed into her, carrying the other girl off her feet with a gasp before she landed several meters away, staggering and nearly falling onto her back. Before he could try and attack her again, though…!

Ai channeled mana through her circuits, using another quick, single-action spell. This time, ice formed in thin, razor shards in the air. It was a spell that worked similarly to her shield, but this time its function was condensing the moisture that lingered into dense, incredibly sharp fragments of ice before sending them hurtling towards the tall man. When the ice melted and evaporated, she

could do it again and again as long as her mana supply held out!

The first of the shards buried itself in his arm, but he barely seemed to acknowledge it, instead almost immediately turning on his heel and swinging that same arm upwards, the current of air following his arm being used almost like a barrier to disrupt Ai's flurry of ice fragments! And even as he did that, she could see his lips moving, a pinpoint of light forming just ahead of her…!

The small brunette's golden eyes widened as she desperately used another spell, this time to once again create her barrier of ice. It was only barely enough, the barrier solidifying just quickly enough to prevent her from taking a direct hit, even as light flashed in front of her eyes, pain erupted through her body, and she was sent hurtling through the air.

With a yelp, Ai hit the ground on her back, and she could already see Hirata Genjiro looming over her. He was so fast… he was so strong! How were they supposed to defeat him!? Even against two other magi, it was like he had honed his entire being towards the purpose of killing!

"From the very beginning, fighting me was futile!" he declared, raising one foot up, preparing to bring it down on Ai's head as she attempted to rise. But before he could deliver such a crushing blow, another one of Tsubaki's spells was activated, an almost visible blast of air tearing through the parking garage and exploding between Ai and Genjiro! It sent the man off-balanced and stumbling back, surprised!

"Like hell I'd ever let you do that!" snarled Tsubaki, her right hand raised as if it was making the shape of a gun. Ai could even see a sort of green light fading from the tip of her finger. Unfortunately, Genjiro caught himself quickly, before either girl could attempt to follow up on the spell that had disrupted him, but it gave Ai a chance to get back to her feet and out of the range of the man's fists as soon as she could!

Hirata Genjiro was an evil madman who wanted to unleash All the Evils of the world on the entire plant, out of this twisted sense of self-worth. And yet he was so powerful, it was a struggle to even lay a finger on him.

"Your resistance is almost admirable," Genjiro commented, brushing the ice shard that was still buried in his right arm away as he spoke, "But your efforts to prevent my altruistic cause are misguided. Why would you choose to prevent every surviving human in the world from gaining a sense of their own self-worth?"

"Because you're insane!" Ai found herself crying, small, delicate hands balled into fists, "You're a complete madman! Discover their own self-worth? With what? The suffering and deaths of those around them?! Being the only one left…"

The short magus hesitated, then shook her head.

"It's an experience defined by loneliness and pain. That's the self-worth you want to teach to people?! The whole world doesn't share your warped and deformed psyche, Hirata Genjiro! The whole world isn't twisted like you!"

Genjiro cocked his head to one side, a smirk forming on his lips.

"This is already a warped and twisted world, Matsushita Ai," he responded, an almost amused tone in his voice, "I simply aim to help whoever remains find their place in it. Can you truly argue that a sense of your own self-worth would not have helped you, all these years?"

Of course it wouldn't! All those years… would have passed by the same. Even if she hadn't been feeling like she had no inherent value to her existence. But it wasn't even like that anymore, was it? It couldn't be…

"Who the hell would listen to you?!" Ai heard Tsubaki's voice, "An insane killer who wants to drown the world in black mud?! Don't make me laugh! Sure, maybe you did discover your own worthiness all those years ago in Fuyuki, but that's only something a psychopathic bastard like you would take away from a tragedy like that!"

"I never expected either of you to understand," responded Genjiro, still smirking with a shrug, even as Tsubaki reached into her bag once more. Now that Genjiro's ability to counter projectile spells had effectively been destroyed, he was more vulnerable at range, as long as Tsubaki could successfully make a hit!

But the dark man was already rounding on her, even as she began to draw another capsule from her bag!

Before Tsubaki could deploy the concentrated air capsule, Genjiro was upon her. Before the black-haired magus could even respond, he drove his knee sharply upwards, slamming it into the girl's chest. Ai couldn't even reach her, it was simply too fast. There was an ugly cracking sound, Ai's eyes widening in horror as Tsubaki spat blood with a pained wheeze, lifted into the air. Even with her reinforcement…

The other girl landed about a meter away, on her back, her bag falling to the ground as well. She wasn't moving…

Ai's shoulders shook. From this distance, she couldn't even tell if Tsubaki was breathing… had… had Genjiro… had Genjiro killed her…?

No, she couldn't… she couldn't just believe something like that! Shakily, as Genjiro approached Tsubaki's limp form, Ai raised her hand, pointing one finger towards it. A stronger spell, this time… she had to get him away from Tsubaki as quickly as possible. If she was still alive… no, she was definitely still alive! And that meant that Ai had to protect her! To stop Genjiro from finishing her off!

Her circuits blazed as mana was channeled through her arm, gathering…

"Oh hunting spear, listen to my words! Forge yourself upon my fingertip!" cried Ai. As Genjiro began to turn around, the water in the air rapidly condensed, the entire room seeming to chill suddenly as it froze, becoming a lengthy, hefty spike of ice, every bit as sharp as the smaller shards that had been previously created! A small pale blue circle of magical energy appeared at its base, before it was suddenly sent rocketing through the air at a blinding speed, hurtling straight towards Hirata Genjiro with a whistling sound! He turned right into it, and raising his arm wasn't enough to protect him, the spear of frozen water burying itself in his right arm-no, piercing all the way through it and protruding out the other side! She saw him wince in pain, his fists tightening…!

"I had judged you the lesser threat… it seems I was mistaken," he almost seemed to growl. That hadn't even slowed him down?! He was already making his way right for her! But… no, his right arm… he had to be injured, right?! There was no way even someone like that could possibly withstand having their arm completely impaled by a razor sharp spike of solid ice! And yet he didn't even flinch, he just kept charging as if nothing had even happened!

What kind of monster was he?! Was it because of his warped mindset that he never even slowed down once?! Desperately, Ai created another barrier of ice, but it was all for nothing, shattering immediately under the force of his leg. Another sharp stab of pain burned through the small girl's body as she was sent hurtling to the side, rolling once end-over-end and ending up lying on her stomach, nearby Tsubaki's bag.

She could barely move… agony was blazing through her entire body, her tiny frame shuddering. She thought the ice barrier had prevented any serious damage, but it hurt so much… an almost unimaginable agony as if her body was being torn apart on ever level… and he was getting closer again…

Ai rolled onto her back, desperately reaching out, grasping for anything that she could to try and defend herself. Anything at all, even as her body protested at every little movement she made. She had to do something, she had to stop him. She couldn't let herself die here. She had to protect Tsubaki, she had to reunite with Souji, they had to stop Avenger, so she couldn't possibly let someone like this kill her. Someone like this evil, amoral madman…

Her hands found the handle of… a knife? An oddly-shaped, curved knife that had fallen from Tsubaki's bag… Maybe he wouldn't expect it. Her small fingers curled around the blade, just before she suddenly felt his hand grip her by the neck. With a gasp of shock, Ai felt herself lifted into the air, eyes widening in horror. At some point, he'd removed the spike of ice from his arm, still barely looking phased…!

"Tonight, the Grail War ends," he said, in a level, calm tone, "And all that remains of humanity will be able to enjoy the sense of self-worth that I have enjoyed for all these years. Can you not take solace in that, Matsushita Ai?"

Ai squirmed desperately, but his grip just tightened… she raised the knife, but before she could attempt to bring it down on his arm he simply used his other hand to stop her, gripping her wrist firmly as his grip around her throat tightened. She could feel it getting tighter and tighter, it was growing more and more difficult for her to breath by the moment. Was this really it…? No, she couldn't let it end like this… she couldn't… she'd made so many steps into the world, she'd found the girl she loved, she had to stop Avenger, she couldn't just let it end…!

"HIRATA GENJIROOOOO!"

Tsubaki! She'd gotten up again! While Genjiro was distracted, she'd managed to rise, drawing back one fist! But Genjiro was already preparing himself, his free hand releasing Ai's wrist…

It was the biggest mistake he had made.

As hard as she possibly could, Ai brought the knife down, driving it up to the hilt into his flesh! With a gasp, the dark man released her neck, and she fell to the ground, coughing as she massaged her throat. She had barely been able to breath! If… it had gone on any longer…

Genjiro attempted to rip the knife from his arm, but there was suddenly a piercing, high-pitched whine as the dagger began to glow… and to Tsubaki's surprise, it suddenly exploded! Mana was released all at once, obliterating the man's left arm from the elbow down in a brilliant flash of magical energy!

Ai was in shock. She hadn't realized the dagger had been anything but, perhaps, a tool for use in rituals. But it had exploded moments after she buried it in that bastard's arm!

The man gritted his teeth and stumbled back, the stump he'd been left with smoking and sizzling with magical energy. But even then, he was already raising his remaining hand, he was already trying to cast another spell. Right after losing his left arm!?

Tsubaki was too close. Her fist, green lines of mana seeming to materialize along it as it was reinforced even further, slamming into Genjiro's chin with a crack, sending him reeling backwards! And before he could recover, her other hand snapped towards his chest with blinding speed, exploding outwards, air building and swirling around it as she curled her hand into a fist and-

There was a blast of air. A roar like a hurricane. All that pressure had suddenly been practically fired into the man's torso.

And the result was a hole. A round cavity had been blown clear through Genjiro, blasting his entire chest out. Behind him, the wall was cratered, as if it had been struck by a wrecking ball. The spell that Tsubaki had used had hit the man like a cannonball, ripping clear through his entire body all at once. For a few moments, a silence overtook the parking garage, as Genjiro took one slow step back, the huge hole in his torso dripping blood.

"… You… wasted every single life…" Genjiro gasped, falling to his knees, "That… I took…"

"That's nonsense, and deep down, you know it," replied Tsubaki, simply, looking down at the man, "You're the one who took everything from them. This is your atonement, Hirata Genjiro. The end of the life you valued so much."

"… Avenger… is still…"

Genjiro couldn't finish his last words. With one last rasping breath, he fell forward, landing on his front. Beneath him, the crimson of his blood began to pool, spreading slowly from the now-lifeless corpse that lay on the concrete. The man responsible for manipulating the events that would kill Ai's parents was dead.

For a few moments, the short brunette could only stare in mute shock. She had barely been thinking about what she was doing, simply struggling in that moment to survive the relentless violence that Hirata Genjiro had been directing her way. But the knife's explosion, the loss of his arm, had opened the way for Tsubaki to finish him off.

Suddenly, Tsubaki fell to her knees. Golden eyes widening, Ai shot to her feet, ignoring the protest of her body as she hurried to her friend's side. She'd almost managed to forget that the taller girl was injured, just on account of how quickly she had managed to launch an attack against Genjiro, and even succeed in killing him.

"Tsubaki!" she cried, swiftly kneeling at her side, reaching out to try and support the black-haired magus by taking her shoulders in her hands. When she got this close, she could see the fact that there was still blood trickling from the corner of the tanned girl's mouth…

"I-I have to heal you!" she declared, desperately preparing for the spell. But, suddenly, Tsubaki shook her head and pulled away.

"No, Ai," she responded, giving the smaller girl a weak smile. Her voice was somewhat strained, but at least it seemed like she was capable of talking normally. "I'll be okay. It hurts, but I did everything I could to make sure he couldn't kill me easily. Someone has to stay here and make sure Marion-chan is okay, too."

Both girls glanced towards the limp, though still-breathing from of Theomanius's familiar. It was true, someone did have to stay behind… but that didn't mean that Ai couldn't heal Tsubaki, right?!

"Your Servant is the one who's going to confront Avenger. You should be there to support her, shouldn't you? I'll stay here, and look after Marion. There's no more time to waste."

Ai hesitated. While it would take some time, she still… she couldn't leave Tsubaki like this, could she? To leave her with whatever internal injuries she had sustained at Hirata Genjiro's hands… But even from here it seemed as if she was at least able to stand and breath normally.

Souji…

"B-but…"

Tsubaki shook her head.

"I'm not going to accept a world in which you don't get out there right now and help Saber take revenge against that monster for everything she's done. For what she did to Lancer. Do you understand?"

Ai fell silent.

What Avenger did to Lancer… what she was trying to do… Saber… she had to help her!

"… Besides… you still have your command seals, and I don't hear a fight going on anymore, do you?" continued Tsubaki, sadness creeping into her weak smile, "Saber has to be on her way to face Avenger. We only have so much time… so get going!"

It was true. There was not a single sound of battle carrying on beyond the wall of debris that had fallen from the ceiling. It was only obvious what this meant, seeing that Ai still retained her command seals. She felt a deep sensation of relief, knowing that the girl she loved was alright… but then a pang of guilt. Lancer was almost certainly dead, at the hands of her Servant. Even if there was almost certainly no other option, that fact couldn't stop her from feeling this way.

But at this point, there was no way Ai could let anything else slow her down.

Tsubaki's weak smile grew, just a little.

"Good luck, Ai-san."

Her hand wrapped around one of Ai's, as the short brunette got to her feet.

"… When I come back, I'll make sure you're okay, Tsubaki!" she declared. She had to come back. Saber had to win. And Ai absolutely had to make sure the first girl who had spoken to her since she had arrived in Minami would be alright.

And with that, Ai broke into a sprint, leaving Tsubaki kneeling beside Marion. She had to find the thinnest point in the debris wall, or if she was lucky, a path around it. There was no way to tell how far Saber had gotten, but she knew that her Servant had to make her way to Pandora as quickly as possible, given that every possible second was bringing the grail's descent closer and closer.

Indeed, above everything else, Ai knew the most important thing was that she had to stop Avenger.

But she had to make sure that Saber would be safe, too. The girl that she loved was going to be fighting against one of the most dangerous beings that currently existed in the world, a Servant whose one desire was to burn away all of humanity for the sake of revenge against gods who no longer had any stake in their lives. If there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that such a Servant was incredibly powerful. She had been able to defeat and corrupt Lancer… She couldn't let anything like that happen to Souji.

Ai had to find her way to Souji's side.

She had to.


	19. Chapter 19

The Holy Grail.

The Omnipotent Wish-Granting Device. The path to the root itself. The goal of the vicious conflict that was known as 'the Holy Grail War'.

By this point, all but one of the Servants who had originally been summoned for the purposes of doing battle for the Holy Grail were now dead. The seals that had adorned Pandora's hand after she finished twisting Lancer had faded, which meant only one thing. Saber had been victorious. The samurai was coming to try and stop her. Not that she would be successful, of course.

For she could practically see it. The Holy Grail was descending. The cup that could grant her deepest desire, that would become an infinite source of mana and allow her to consume humanity with All the Evils of the World, was materializing before her very eyes.

Avenger could feel her heartbeat quickening, her excitement swelling. The golden light that shown down was being filled… with the slowly-incarnating shape of a golden cup. Yes… yes, it was almost here! She did not need to make a wish. She did not need to use the grail as it was intended. No, she would unite it with her own body. She would use it as her mana supply, in place of her Master and in place of the box itself. With that, she could open the box and let the mud flow freely as much as she desired.

And before Avenger's very eyes, the Holy Grail was revealing itself from that brilliant light. Yes… yes, the Holy Grail was revealing its very existence to her! So long had she waited, every moment of her life cursing the gods. Ever moment until her death. The last thoughts in her mind, as she slowly succumbed, alone and friendless, to her fate… the utter hatred she felt towards the gods and the contempt she felt for those they had favored. Those they had created her to punish. All that time had lead to this very moment.

Attached to the nearby wall, bound and naked, secured with blackened constructs of Avenger's own creation, was her Master. Rani was trapped within her own mind, for the time being. Pandora had no intention of killing her when they first met, and she still did not. In fact… if she did survive the coming fire…

Perhaps it she would be spared. Not only was she created as a tool, just as Avenger herself had been, but she was the entire reason that the woman known as Pandora had managed to find a path into this world. There was some part of Pandora, deep within the dark shadow that could be called her core, that felt sympathy for the dark-skinned girl. Indeed… perhaps she alone would be allowed to survive the fire, as someone who had simply been used as a tool from the very moment of her birth.

She could sense Saber's presence, but that was hardly cause for concern. She was just about to grasp the Holy Grail! It was materializing, just as she had wished!

Just as…

She had…

Indeed, the thing that came to be in the column of light was a cup. Undeniably, it had the shape of a Grail. If that had been all that had been required of it, it would have been the perfect Holy Grail that the war had been waged for in the first place. But simply by laying eyes upon it, Avenger could discern that something was wrong.

The cup that floated in the air in front of her was no Omnipotent Wish-granting Device. It could not even be called a divine treasure on that level. In fact, it was incapable of granting wishes at all. It could not reach the root. Not a single mage who had obtained it would fine any worth in its nature aside from as some kind of curiosity. Perhaps as the basis of some sort of ritual.

And yet, Avenger couldn't help but crack a smile. She couldn't stop herself from beginning to laugh, hysteria overcoming her.

This? This was the thing they had called the Holy Grail? The thing that every Master and Servant had been fighting for?

For nearly all of them, something like this would be absolutely useless! It didn't even have the capacity to grant wishes in a manner that the victor could conceive of. It was incapable of granting a single desire!

So much death and suffering waged for this?

All it could do, its singular function… well, it was obvious to Avenger, really. It had already been demonstrated.

The only thing this 'Holy Grail' could do was enact the summoning of Servants. If she had not seen such a thing in the form of the other Servants and herself, she would have doubted even that. On every level, in every way, this 'holy grail' was nothing more than a failure. It could grant no wishes. It could forge no path to the root.

It was nothing more than a drinking cup.

And yet…

Indeed, it was useless to the other participants in this Holy Grail War. That was an undeniable fact. But it was a nearly endless wellspring of mana, a source of incredible power. It had no function, no capability to do more then act as a supply… but Avenger had never needed anything else, had she?

This 'Holy Grail' was utterly useless. But not to her.

Just as she reached out to curl her fingers around the cup, she heard a sound from behind her. Still suspended in the air, Avenger turned, now holding the 'holy grail' in one hand, cocking her head to the side as she did.

There, at the entrance to the chamber of this fake, this fraud, was Saber. Immediately, the swordswoman raised her blade, silver-gold eyes fixed on Pandora as she did.

"Avenger!" she cried. Pandora could see the look on her face, one of determination. All it did was fill Avenger with a strange sense of satisfaction.

"So there you are, Saber."

She raised the grail towards the samurai.

"Would you like to know the true nature of this thing you've been fighting for?"

* * *

Saber darted down the stairs. The next level was completely clear, the next after that was, as well! There was no further obstacles between her and the final, bottom floor of the parking garage. That was where Avenger had to be located! At this point, the girl samurai could feel it, that dark presence that could only be Pandora lingering just a little further. As soon as she arrived at the final floor, she would be ready! She had to be!

But it was difficult to be prepared for what she saw when she reached the bottom.

The final level of the parking garage had been hollowed out, a deep, cavernous chamber. In its very center was a shaft of light. On the opposite wall was a strange, dark mass, and in the center of the mass was what Saber recognized as an unconscious Rani IV.

And in the center of the room, reaching into the shaft of light…

"Avenger!"

Pandora had already turned to face her. In her hand… that golden cup… it had the be the Holy Grail. Avenger had already obtained it… but she wouldn't let her keep it!

"So there you are, Saber," she commented, cocking her head to one side as she raised what had to be the Holy Grail, "Would you like to know the true nature of this thing you've been fighting for?"

Saber paused for a moment, even as she kept her sword raised parallel to her eyes. What did Avenger mean, the true nature of the Holy Grail? It was an omnipotent wish-granting device, wasn't it? The goal of the Holy Grail War centered on the ability to use it to gain a wish! There wasn't anything else that could be said, was there?"

"What are you talking about, Avenger?" snapped the pale swordswoman, as she drew closer, her eyes fixed on Pandora, "Whatever your game is here, you won't be able to distract me. I won't let you take your misguided vengeance!"

"… Misguided, you say? Against those monsters calling themselves gods?"

Pandora narrowed her dull golden eyes.

"You understand absolutely nothing. Were it not for my desire to tell you the truth about this thing pretending to be the Holy Grail, I would have already killed you."

Saber readied herself. She had absolutely no reason to sit here and listen to whatever stalling tactic Avenger had devised, especially when she was already holding the Holy Grail. She had to get it out of her hands as soon as possible…!

With a sound like an explosion, Saber burst forward and reached Avenger in an instant! With a flash of her blade, she severed the enemy Servant's right arm! It spiraled through the air, trailing blood as black as All the Evils of the World, before landing some distance away, still clutching the grail. As she skidded to a halt behind Avenger, Saber swiftly turned on her heel and readied herself for an attack.

But… Avenger barely looked phased…? Even as black blood spurted from the stump that had once been her right arm…

"… So you desired a fight, first, Saber…?" questioned Avenger, almost casual as she cocked her head, "Do you not wish to understand that the Holy Grail you fought for is nothing more than a fraud?"

Instantly, the platinum blonde girl declared this a lie, in her mind. If the Holy Grail was a fake, why did Avenger still want it? How could it possibly have summoned Servants if it wasn't the real thing? Saber had no understanding of the Holy Grail in terms of its existence as an artifice of magecraft, but as a Servant she knew how it functioned as the conduit that allowed for her own summoning to occur.

She was more concerned over the fact that Avenger seemed completely unperturbed over the loss of her arm. Saber had severed it at the shoulder, and yet Avenger had barely even flinched, beyond wincing a little.

"That's nonsense!" she declared, narrowing her eyes as she did, "You're the one responsible for what happened to Lancer, trying to plunge the entire world into hell! Why should I sit here and listen to you?!"

"It's simple, really," responded Avenger, shrugging her shoulders. The stump that was all that remained of her arm had already stopped bleeding, far more quickly then Saber had expected, "I may be your enemy, but the truth is this entire Holy Grail War has been a sham from the very beginning."

Saber simply didn't understand. How could Avenger say something like that with such conviction, even after having been so critically injured? She had no intention of listening, but the sheer confusion of it gave her pause for a moment.

"There's no way that's possible," asserted Saber, after a moment, "If the Grail was able to call out to heroic spirits, it can't be a fake."

Avenger shook her head. Saber thought she noticed something unusual happening in the wound that was all that remained of her right arm.

"Oh, certainly, there is one way in which this is something like the true Holy Grail. It's certainly capable of allowing for the summoning ritual to occur," she replied, gesturing widely with her remaining hand, "But that's it. This thing-"

Avenger gestured towards the Holy Grail still clutched in her severed hand.

"-is no perfect wish-granting machine. Nor is it some kind of insidious trap filled with darkness. This cup has more in common with that little homunculus girl you and your Master love to coddle than anything else."

For a few moments, Saber couldn't help but let her confusion show on her face. The Holy Grail was more like Alysvial? How did that even begin to make sense? Soon, her focus returned, and she readied herself for another strike against Pandora… but she hesitated, just for a split second. If this war was fought for a fake grail, what would have been the purpose in the first place? Why create something like this, forge such a vicious conflict, if there wasn't even a real prize in the first place?

"It's an infinite source of mana, and it can allow for the summoning of heroic spirits," continued Avenger. As she spoke, a circle of purple lights suddenly began to materialize above her head. Saber's focus sharpened almost immediately. Saber's focus sharpened almost immediately. Regardless of what she was saying, it was obvious that Avenger was preparing to attack!

"But it's nothing! Can't you see? It utterly lacks any true splendor! This is no wish-granting device! It's nothing more than a well!" declared Pandora, raising her remaining hand in a rather grand gesture, "A well that all the fools, the idiots believed was a path to the root. Or, in some cases, an artifact of one of those bastard gods. But this isn't even of the same nature as the Holy Grails battled for in other wars, is it?"

There was a manic gleam growing in those doll golden eyes.

"Is it?!" Pandora practically snarled, as the purple pinpoints of light flared, unleashing a great barrage of magical energy towards Saber! Needless to say, there was no way she could let that hit her. Even as she evaded, putting on a burst of speed, she could feel each beam singeing the air as it flew past her! When they hit the ground, they carved glowing ruts into the earth, slicing through it like there was nothing there. But Saber wasn't about to let that attack go unanswered! She'd already cut off one of Avenger's arms, now she just had to go for the head!

Darting towards her opponent, before she could fire another set of beams of mana, the girl samurai drew back her sword and prepared to strike…!

But this time, there was something in the way. A circular barrier flared into existence, and with a sound something like the noise made by steel scraping along steal the tip of Saber's katana made contact with it in a shower of sparks. Almost immediately, innumerable dark purple needles materialized over the swordswoman's head and fell, forcing her to retreat!

As she did, she heard an ugly sound, and caught glimpse of another, freshly-formed arm erupting from the stump that she'd left behind, mending Avenger's body entirely. No wonder she hadn't been concerned about losing an arm!

"Can you understand, Saber?" Avenger asked, raising her new arm into the air as she spoke, "The idea of being created for use as a punishing tool? To never be told of this until the very end? One day, seeing everything burn around you because you naively chose to follow your curiosity?! That's the pain I've felt on into infinity!"

The box drifted to Pandora's side, the patterns on it twisting and warping. Saber inhaled deeply, raising her katana to the level of her eyes once more. That box absolutely contained All the Evils of the World, and so if it was opened…

"Does it sound hypocritical to you, Saber?" asked Avenger, cocking her head to one side, "Burning the world with darkness after I was used for that very purpose as a punishing tool? But the fact is, the gods desired punishment, not annihilation! So I'll destroy everything they cared about! The human race that once worshipped them…!"

The patterns suddenly converged on the corner of the box, and a torrent of blackened mud erupted from it. Feeling the wind whipping around her, her scarf fluttering in the air, Saber immediately sprinted away from the mud's path…! It splattered across the wall, and stuck there, seething like it was something alive.

"Can't you see?! This cup can't grant your wish! It's useless for everyone, except me!" declared Pandora, even in her insane tirade managing to trace Saber's movements with her dull eyes, "Do you really want it anymore, knowing that?! Knowing this whole war was a sham created by fools who didn't realize they had failed to call the Holy Grail?!"

Saber paused for only a moment. Her wish… the memory of her wish…

The fact that she had failed to fight with her comrades until the bitter end. The desire she felt to have that chance, that one last opportunity to battle together with them, no matter what sordid end they faced…

And yet…

"… I'm not fighting to claim the Holy Grail, Avenger," the platinum blonde samurai responded, taking another deep breath as she did, "I'm here to stop you. To stop this insane revenge plot. To stop you from harming any innocent people. And I'm here for my Master, Matsushita Ai. It's not as if I can say I have no regrets… but preventing you from using that cup, even if it isn't the Holy Grail, is more important than any of that."

Clashing with the shade of a man whom she had called her friend in life had simply driven that point home.

"I'm here to stop you. I'm here for Ai. And I'm here to avenge Lancer, Pandora!" she declared! Squaring up her feet, Saber readied herself for another charge! Pandora may have had a barrier in place, now, but it couldn't hold out forever, could it?! She'd break through eventually, and even if she couldn't…!

There was nothing that would withstand her most trusted technique!

But as she prepared for another attack, she heard something behind her… and the black mud that had splattered across the wall suddenly erupted forward, hurtling towards her once more! It was only because of her finely-honed instincts that Saber was able to evade the stream of corruption as it hurtled towards the spot she had just occupied! It splattered across the ground, roiling and churning on its own. So… So Avenger couldn't just create the black mud, she could control it like this as well?

That must have been how she was able to get Lancer… by surprising her with an attack by the black mud from behind, or something like that…!

"The Black Mud of Pandora's box is inexorably tied to my existence, Saber," declared Pandora, a manic grin adorning her face as she cocked her head to one side, pale gold eyes wide with a certain mad fervor, "I can manipulate it as if it were part of my body!"

Fine. There was no denying how dangerous that was, but Saber wouldn't allow it to stop her!

As the mud rose into writhing tendrils and fired itself at her once more, the girl samurai stepped back… and exploded with movement again, clearing the distance to her side in an instant! The muddy tentacles grasped at where she had stood moments before, and Saber narrowed her silver-gold eyes before seeming to vanish once more! Yes, in an instant, she had cleared the distance again, made her way to Pandora before the enemy Servant could conjure up more mud! She just had to worry about that barrier…!

The swordswoman thrust her blade, slamming the tip against that purple shield! And then again, and again… a flurry of nearly invisible thrusts, a barrage of strikes directed at points all over the surprised Avenger's defenses! A single, powerful strike wasn't enough, but barrage of blows directed at finding any sort of weakness in the defensive artifice, pinpoint blows at a blinding speed… Even if it was solid, there was no way that it could hold out forever! There was no perfect defense short of the greatest of legends!

Sensing the muck behind her stirring once move, just as a series of purple circles ignited around Avenger's head once more, Saber darted back just as the mud erupted towards her and the beams fired, blazing into the spot she had once occupied. She wouldn't let any of it touch her…!

Even from here, the platinum blonde girl could see that she had cracked Avenger's defenses, a hairline fracture having appeared in the surface of the barrier. If she could just keep up, there was no way it could possibly hold!

"… To think you were able to crack my shield like that…" commented a bewildered Pandora, staring at her shield, "… I see. A spirit of the human order without a scrap of divine influence… My defenses were always far better equipped against those touched by the gods."

"I'll pierce that shield and take you down, Avenger!" declared Saber, squaring up her feet as she readied her katana once more. Her attention was split, between the black mud seething in front of Pandora, to the Avenger-class Servant herself. "I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Avenger simply chuckled.

"So even after learning the grail was fraud, that your entire reason to be here was empty… I see," she began. But that was where Pandora was wrong. Even if that reason was gone, Saber had so many reasons to stand against the Avenger-class Servant that she had picked up along the way!

The chief among them all was Ai.

"You're arrogant… so very arrogant… this is the revenge I've desired since before I perished!" declared Avenger, raising her hands as the mud she had once used flowed back into the box, "The vengeance that I so desperately wanted the moment I understood what opening Pandora's box had done, the moment I was bathed in All the Evils of the World! You, a heroic spirit born so recently, are so very arrogant to believe that you could deny me this, Saber!"

As she spread her arms wide, dozens upon dozens of pinpoints of purple light opened above her head. Soon, the entire cavernous chamber was filled with a veritable wall of magical energy! The sheer level of power on display… while individually the lights were not strong on their own, the number of them… Saber could not even see beyond the wall of light. Her silver-gold widened. This massive amount of mana… was it because of Pandora's box?!

With a resounding chorus of sounds like the crack of thunder, the hundreds of lights fired, releasing beams of magical energy! They bombarded the walls, the floor, trying to make it impossible for Saber to escape, for her to even find room to dodge! But she wasn't going to let herself get cornered!

Her agility, her speed… it was bolstered by being in the land she was born in, and by the feelings inscribed upon her heart by wearing that haori. Saber couldn't allow herself to be trapped by something like this! Even as blasts of magical energy rained down, she weaved through them, feeling each one pass by… once or twice, she felt a stab of pain strike as one hit her shoulder, another striking her leg, but she knew that if she let that give her even a moment's pause it would be over. Another shot was deflected, sparks flying as it clashed against her blade, and yet still, this barrage of mana was raining down…!

She had to keep moving, she had to avoid taking too many hits! If she stopped for any reason, any at all, there was no way that she would survive an onslaught like this!

But with every moment, she was making her way closer to Avenger. Every step brought her nearer and nearer to her opponent, she just had to make it…!

Suddenly, the firing stopped. Before Saber had even the briefest moment to wonder why, a hail of needle-like projectiles suddenly launched at her from above! Even backing up, at top speed, she couldn't avoid one of them slicing into her left side. With a gasp of pain, she stumbled back, but quickly righted herself. Damn it… she'd been cut off before she could reach Avenger again!

"It's only a matter of time, Saber," commented Avenger, cocking her head to the side. "What makes you think you can succeed where Lancer failed?!"

Lancer… To be honest, there was nothing. Saber had nothing she felt made her better then Lancer, though she did believe she had greater skill with the blade then the knight, Lancer was superior with the lance. But she had to try, didn't she? Or else it would make everything that happened to Lancer would be worthless. Billions of people would suffer. Ai would suffer…

"… My skill with the blade is unparalleled, but Lancer was an incredibly skilled knight. To be honest, there's no reason I should win and she should lose, when it comes to doing battle with you," Saber replied, sliding into a combat-ready stance once more, "But my Master has placed all her faith, all her hope in me. I can't let her down! And it's for Lancer's sake, too!"

"Hope?" inquired Avenger, her tone suddenly mocking, "Very well. Let me show you the truth of hope."

Just as Saber prepared herself to charge again, Avenger waved her hand with a flourish. The box floated forward with a strange humming sound, one that it hadn't put off before. Warily, Saber paused for a moment, eyeing the box. She had seen the black mud spew from Pandora's Box before, but something seemed different this time. It wasn't the same. All at once, golden lines began to flow across the box's surface, traveling towards the edge that faced Saber! Silver-gold eyes widening, the girl samurai raised her katana, ready to dodge in an instant.

"Behold, the truth behind the idea of hope, Saber!" declared Avenger, "The true nature of that falsity! This… is the Final Evil!"

The golden light gathered at the edge of the box, and Saber's entire body tensed. As a flash of light exploded from the box, her body exploded with movement as she attempted to dodge. But… no, something was wrong! Her entire vision was suddenly consumed with light! But how?! What kind of attack was this?! It wasn't the mud, nor was it the magecraft that Avenger had displayed before! There was no-where to run! Was there no escape?! But she couldn't fail Ai! She couldn't!

But-

* * *

The golden light faded.

Where Saber had once stood, there was a perfect orb of gold, large enough to entirely encase her. There had been no time for Avenger to custom-make the samurai's prison, as she had done with Rani. Instead, she had gone with the quickest possible route.

She could have easily killed the sealed Saber. Perhaps that was the wiser option. But… no. She had dared, she had the audacity, to mention hope. There was no way she could accept a quick end for someone who spoke of hope in her presence. So, Pandora had shown Saber the truth. What the final evil at the bottom of the box really was.

It was the falsity of hope. Hoping that there would be survivors, hoping she wouldn't be scorned… Where had any of it gotten Avenger? She had gone down in history as the one who had unleashed evil onto the world. But it wasn't merely the idea of hope she hated. It was the fact that she had seen it. The very concept of hope inscribed on the interior of the box. It truly, absolutely, was one of the blackest and most hateful evils that had ever been inflicted upon the world. The idea that someone could look forward, that they could believe that things would turn out alright no matter how bleak it looked… it was a hateful thing that made failure all the more painful.

Avenger hated the gods, but perhaps even more than that she despised the very word 'hope'.

And so, she would leave Saber encased in a world of this fakeness, this falsity. She would allow her to stew in whatever images were conjured by her own mind, her own 'hope'. When her plan had succeeded, and the world was burning with her vengeance, only then would she free Saber from her Noble Phantasm and allow the Servant to see the fruit of her failure.

To see the samurai utterly crushed, just as she had been. She'd likely fade away shortly afterwards, given her Master would be burning as well, but all that mattered was that the last obstacle there had been in her path towards vengeance suffered for daring to believe she could mention hope in Avenger's presence.

But now that Saber was incapacitated…

Avenger turned, eyes falling upon the cup still clutched in her severed arm. Given she had already regenerated, however, her arm was beginning to fade away, simply leaving the chalice lying there on the floor. To see the thing that everyone had believed was the holy grail simply lying there, tossed aside as if it was a piece of garbage, was almost amusing…

But she needed it. It was something that only she could use, out of all the Servants that had taken part in the Holy Grail War. It was something that she needed more than any single one of them, as well.

Who among them had a reason such as hers? Who among them could claim they deserved it more than she did?

Not a single one.

Avenger drifted towards the false grail. She reached out for it, and wrapped her fingers around it once more. Indeed, it was a massive source of mana, an incredible source of power yet utterly useless for the purpose of granting wishes.

And so, Pandora would simply have to unite it with her body. To make the fake Holy Grail a part of her, to make it her new supply of mana. No longer would she rely on Rani, exploiting the girl's mana to remain in the world, and no longer would she burn out and disappear before Pandora's Box finished burning away at all of humanity. No, the fake Grail would serve as a mana core to keep supplying her revenge with power.

Gripping the cup in both hands, she drew it back…

And drove it into her chest. There was an ugly squelching sound as her flesh parted, black blood spurting from her body as Avenger gritted her teeth, piercing herself with the cup, jamming it through her body with enough force… but then… yes… it was slowly being drawn into her. She was devouring the False Holy Grail.

Soon, the cup had vanished inside of her. And for a moment, just that one moment, she felt a surge of power flooding through her, mana filling her frame, blazing through her entire existence. And infinite wellspring of power!

And yet…

Something was wrong. Suddenly, agony seared through Pandora's entire being, and she gasped, spitting black blood onto the floor. Even this fake… it was rejecting her?! Denying her right?! Avenger narrowed her eyes, choking back the sensation of gagging in the back of her throat. The wound in her chest had already sealed, she would claim this False Grail no matter how it rejected her!

And then, something she hadn't expected happened.

"S-stop!"

Still suffering from the pain burning in her chest, Pandora turned towards the source of the voice.

It was a small girl in glasses with her hair in two braids. Avenger recognized her.

Saber's Master.

Matsushita Ai.

* * *

Eventually, she'd managed to find a gap in the debris wall. If there was one thing she could be at least somewhat thankful for about being small, it was the fact that she could squeeze through spaces like this. Ai couldn't be delayed any longer in catching up to Souji, after all. What if the girl samurai needed some kind of help? Avenger… she was strong, wasn't she? It was terrifying to know that she was the final enemy, and yet Ai pushed herself on, running as fast as she can through the rest of the parking garage. As she ran, she stared in shock at the remnants of the fight between Saber and the corrupted Lancer. There was a hole in the floor, gouges in the walls still smoldering from magical energy being shot into them… and multiple cars were demolished and crushed.

It was undeniably the aftermath of the battle between Souji and Lancer. Even proceeding down to the nest floor, Ai could see further signs of battle, such as the smashed car, the scorch marks… Everything had been touched by the fight seemed as if it had almost been destroyed. Lancer… by this point, the only thing Ai could hope for was that their former ally died in a way that fit a Knight of France, rather than a Black Knight of killing.

She'd even saved Tsubaki before the debris fall could have crushed the other girl.

But now, Lancer was most assuredly gone.

As Ai made her way across the second to last floor of the parking garage, she could hear the sounds of battle flow. Souji had already reached Avenger…! She had to hurry, to get to her Servant as quickly as she possible could!

What if Souji was injured?! What if Avenger had already gained the upper hand?! She was simply so powerful, such a famous heroic Spirit as Pandora… there was so much that could go wrong, but Ai couldn't let herself be the sort of person who wallowed in worry any longer. Not right now.

But when she got there…

The final floor of the parking garage had been converted into some kind of large chamber. Attached to the wall, with a strange dark substance, Ai could see what had to be Rani IV, her dark-skinned form clearly unconscious. But there was also some kind of golden, or… and Avenger herself.

"S-stop!" Ai found herself blurting out, in spite of the situation.

That was when Avenger turned to her. But something was strange… there was a black fluid, what could only be Pandora's blood, trickling from one corner of her mouth. Had Saber managed to injure her?! A wave of hope suddenly filled Ai's heart…

Except…

Souji was no-where to seen.

"The Master of that stubborn samurai, I see," commented the dark Servant, calmly, her eyes travelling across Ai's diminutive frame, "You may as well fall to your knees and beg for the mercy you shall never receive. "

Even though she was terrified, Ai managed to shake her head, defiance visible in her eyes.

"No… there's no way… absolutely no way you can win tonight!" declared the short brunette as she took a step forward. "Souji won't let you, and neither will I!"

"Oh really…?" asked Avenger, cocking her head to one side, "But Saber won't be able to kill me. She's trapped in her own foolish hope… and I have obtained that thing you call the Holy Grail."

Ai's heart froze.

Avenger… already had the Holy Grail?! If that was the case… was there really no stopping her?

… No, if she could use the Holy Grail, Pandora would already have unleashed the contents of her box… then, what was she doing?

Where… where was Souji…?

Suddenly, Avenger shuddered, placing a hand to her mouth as she coughed again, black blood splattering against her palm. Was… Avenger injured…?

"Urk… it's still rejecting me…" she wheezed, lowering her palm away from her mouth. It was rejecting her? What was? Did she mean the Holy Grail itself? How did something like that happen…?

But regardless, that meant that they had time. That had to be the reason that Pandora hadn't enacted her plan to incinerate all of humanity yet, because the Holy Grail was attempting to reject her attempt to establish herself as the 'victor'. But what could she do? Where was Souji? Avenger had said something about her being trapped in her hope… what did that mean?

Slowly, her eyes drifted towards the orb of golden light. If she couldn't see the beautiful samurai anywhere else…

"… Heh… but even like this, there's no way someone like you could stop me," Avenger commented, her pale gold eyes fixing on Ai once more. The small brunette magus took a wary step back. It was true, she had no way to defend herself from a Servant… "The only reason I haven't killed you already, is because the ones who attempted to prevent my vengeance are the ones who deserve to be among the first to experience it!"

So she was here on borrowed time, simply because Pandora desired it? At one point, the revelation that she was only still alive because her enemy had no interest in killing her at the moment could have been crushing, but now… she had to take what little opportunity that she still had!

"I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish, anyway," Avenger continued, with a wave of her hand. "Nor why you believe you have the right to do it. Why do you think you should prevent me from taking the revenge I so clearly deserve, after the pain caused by those bastards known as 'gods' all those years ago?!"

The smug, mocking nature of Avenger's comments had suddenly snapped, transforming into rage with her last words. There was something so terribly fractured about Pandora's very nature… was this what the opening of Pandora's Box had done to her?

"But it doesn't matter! Without a Servant, you're useless. There's no way for you to reach Saber."

Avenger gestured towards the pulsing orb of golden light. Squinting, Ai was able to discern a faint shape inside of it… it confirmed her suspicions. Within the ball of light, Saber was trapped, completely contained inside of it. There was no doubt in Ai's mind that this was somehow an effect of one of Avenger's Noble Phantasms. But… Souji was trapped inside of it, now…? She had to save her! She had to help her escape, but how? It didn't seem as if it was possible, especially if this really was one of Avenger's Noble Phantasms…

Ai banished those self-defeating thoughts from her mind, shaking her head.

She had to try!

Right now, Avenger was operating under the assumption that there was absolutely nothing she could do, wasn't she? She had even said she wanted to keep her alive, as punishment for attempting to interfere. And from Avenger's perspective, there wasn't anything that Ai could do… But she was wrong!

Okita Souji was the girl that she loved! That meant she could get through to her, no matter what!

"Oh? What ever is that look? And here I thought you'd be in tears, awaiting the fulfillment of the vengeance I have desired for thousands and thousands of years," Pandora sneered, "Don't you understand? How painful it was? How could you possibly stop vengeance that's so well-deserved?! But it doesn't matter any longer."

Pandora's words seemed self-assured, but her expression… it was manic. As if she was trying to convince herself of her own speech.

"The false grail's rejection is growing weaker and weaker. Soon, it will no longer be able to resist me, and I shall have the absolute power of this fake in order to achieve my revenge! It's… It's so beautiful, isn't it?! The final fulfillment of my hatred…!"

It was almost as if Avenger's mind was deteriorating by the second.

"… You wanted me to see your plan come to fruition, right? So isn't it better if I struggle?!" Ai asked, glaring towards the Servant. She had to hope this would work, but everything she had heard so far indicated that it would. Still… Avenger was so incredibly dangerous, if she failed… if she failed… she would die, and Souji would remain trapped before fading away, and the world would burn.

"… Struggle? Do as you wish, you're on borrowed time anyway!" declared Avenger, with a wave of her hand, "Saber is trapped within a world created by that evil thing you call hope! No matter what you do, nothing at all can possibly reach her!"

Nothing…

Ai's mind returned to that night. Returned to the very first moment her lips touched Souji's. That moment where she confessed her love. The feelings they shared together, baring their bodies and souls to one another.

Nothing…

Perhaps it would have been true… if not for that night.

Perhaps.

Ai had to try. When the world was so close to its end, she had to try!

"Souji! I need you, Souji! Whatever you're seeing in there, it's not real! Souji!"

She reached out with one small, pale hand, pressing against the orb of light. It burned, but Ai managed to hold fast.

"Please, come back to me, Souji!"

It hurt, the sensation of that burning light on her hand… it was as if her palm had been set on fire. But she had to do everything she could. Avenger merely tilted her head, seeming to watch with amusement.

"What are you really hoping to accomplish? If she can't escape on her own, it's not like you can do anything about it," Pandora commented. Indeed, she was no longer spitting blood…

"Souji, you're… you're the light in my life, Souji! You're the one who guided me out of the darkness… there's no-one else in the world who can say that!" cried Ai, watching Avenger become more and more irritated by the moment.

The small brunette knew she had very little time before Avenger decided it wasn't worth watching her react to humanity's incineration.

Ai didn't understand what it was, even though she knew what was happening to Souji. She understood not a thing about the Noble Phantasm that Pandora had used to create this falsity… but…

Souji was inside that orb of light. Even if she hadn't been their last chance, Ai could never even dream of leaving Souji behind… and this was no different. Even if the world hadn't been depending on it… Ai would have done everything, absolutely everything, that she could have.

And now this was her very last opportunity. Fear clutched at her chest. Souji… she had to free her… the possibility of failure began to weigh upon the short magus, and she could feel it… her eyes were beginning to tear up, even as she spoke again.

"Souji… It's me! Ai! I'm here for you… so follow my voice! Please…"

She could see out of the corner of her eye, a purple light building over Avenger. The final enemy Servant had lost all her patience.

But she had to try… she had to try…!

The light flared… and…!

* * *

It was a beautiful spring day.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, as Okita Souji sat on the wooden deck out front of her home. For a few moments, she was simply silent, then she looked down at herself in mild confusion. Wasn't she just… she was certain that there was something she was meant to be doing. But no matter what, she couldn't quite remember…

Perhaps it wasn't very important? Maybe that was it.

Ah… the sunlight was nice… she wasn't sure what she was doing here, either, to be honest, but details slowly began to filter into her mind. She was watching the cherry blossoms, waiting for her fellow Shinsengumi… and for someone very important to her.

Of course, that was it. That had to be what she was meant to be doing. Souji nodded slowly to herself, and smiled. If she had to be sitting around and waiting, a day like this was probably one of the better days to do it.

Though… what was she waiting for? She knew she was waiting for the Shinsengumi, but not why. It was so hard to remember… Souji wasn't sure why it was difficult for her to remember what she was doing. Had she done something the previous night that had addled her memory? That had to be it. It wasn't exactly like her, but she couldn't think of any other possible explanations. So, quite simply, that had to be it.

The blonde samurai let out a contented sigh. Even though it was just sitting and waiting, sometimes it was nice to take in the warmth of the sun and the beauty of her surroundings.

Even if she didn't quite remember what she was waiting for.

It was around that moment that she heard them, the steady clip-clop of a horse's hooves. Steadily, the shapes of several figures on horseback came into view… and leading them were Kondo Isami, her trusted leader, and her friend Hijikata Toshizo. She gave them a bright smile, and got to her feet, cheerfully waving. Ah, right, she was waiting for the Shinsengumi to… fight to the end? No… this wasn't battle at all… Being unable to remember precisely what she was here for was kind of embarrassing, and certainly not something she was about to mention to the other Shinsengumi.

But it was fine, regardless. Kondo would surely let her know what she was waiting for, right? Without her asking and making it obvious that she'd totally forgotten, right? Even the thought of winding up in that situation was kind of embarrassing, enough to make the girl swordswoman blush a little as she considered it.

"It's good to see you again, Okita-san," Kondo greeted her, with a smile, "How have you been doing?"

"I'm great! I've never felt better!" declared Souji, who suddenly realized that this was genuinely true. Any lingering weakness was totally gone, she felt as if she could breathe completely freely and without concern.

She'd been cured of her tuberculosis entirely!

Ah, why couldn't she remember how that had happened? Certainly, of all things, that seemed like it would be something she'd never forget! And yet, everything seemed kind of foggy… Maybe it was recent, and she'd just been managing to get back on her feet. But she wasn't dressed like that…

"I'm glad to hear it," responded Kondo, with a nod.

"Hehe, I'm glad I can sit here and talk to you!" Souji responded, brightly, "I'd been sick for so long, and things didn't look too good…"

Both Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo looked at each other in confusion.

"… Are you well, Okita-san?" Hijikata asked, finally, "You certainly haven't been sick recently, and we've finally quelled those imperial loyalists."

For a moment, Souji stared. Now that she thought of it, Hijikata seemed a lot less severe, too… had she been under the influence of some strange nightmare? Maybe that was it… a terrible dream where she became deathly ill and everything began to fall apart.

But this bright, beautiful day, with her friends before her, certainly proved that there was no way such a thing could have happened.

Didn't it?

"… Ahh, maybe it was a dream, or something," replied Souji, scratching the back of her head with an awkward chuckle, "Eh-heh, it's so warm out here I might've fallen asleep."

"Did you, now? I'm surprised you weren't dreaming of your new bride."

Her new bride…?

Realization dawned on Souji, suddenly. Of course! After they'd put an end to the imperial loyalists, she'd found that lovely girl…

Ai, from the Matsushita family. At first she hadn't even realized how it was she'd felt. And she hadn't even realized it was possible for two girls to marry. But it seemed like, somehow, that was the case.

"Ah, Ai-chan!" she said, suddenly, "Now I feel a little bad… I really must have been falling asleep if I'm in a fog like this, eh-heh."

Kondo chuckled, while Hijikata simply shrugged.

"She is a fine girl," he commented, "You are quite lucky."

Given Hijikata's habits, Souji couldn't help but wonder if he was disappointed someone other than himself had got the girl in this case.

It seemed as if it was a rather likely possibility.

Souji scratched the back of her head awkwardly as she replied.

"Eh-heheh, I didn't even know we could get married until recently, but it makes me happy…" she said, with a small smile. There was a time where she never envisioned herself entering marriage at all, especially not to another girl. But such times were long past at this point. Just being around Ai made her happy, in a way that she once believed only swordplay could. Though, at the same time, she really doubted this was the same feeling that Hijikata got from his many, many affairs.

"Where is the lucky bride, anyway?" asked Kondo, glancing towards the house as he spoke.

As if on cue, the door behind Souji slid open, and from it emerged that small, fragile-looking brunette girl, her tiny frame clad in a pink kimono, her long hair up in two buns.

"Souji-chan, I-o-oh…"

She paused for a moment, eyeing the men on horses nervously. Ai was always such a shy, nervous girl, and she had never directly met the other members of the Shinsengumi before. Souji couldn't blame her reaction, especially when it came to Hijikata. He was such a scary man, even if you were ready for him he could still be pretty frightening!

Ai gave a weak, trembling smile, and then…

"Souji… I need you, Souji!"

Ah? The platinum blonde girl stared in confusion at her soon-to-be wife. What… what was she doing? Why was she saying that?

"Whatever you're seeing in there," continued Ai, "It's not real!"

Souji stared at the other girl for several moments. What she was seeing… in there…

Slowly, she glanced towards the other Shinsengumi, who were simply staying there and watching, before turning back towards Ai once more.

"What… what are you talking about, Ai-chan? Do you feel alright?" she asked.

For a few moments, Ai simply didn't reply, instead taking a position behind Souji and peering nervously at both of the Shinsengumi who had appeared. The samurai glanced towards her compatriots, who hadn't seemed to notice Ai's sudden outburst. Souji regarded her fiancé with confusion. Had she imagined that sudden cry? Something seemed very strange… but… maybe she was still groggy? If she'd fallen asleep while waiting, that had to be it. It was the only thing that could explain why neither of her friends had seen it, nor had any of the Shinsengumi following them. Her smile returning, she looked towards Ai.

"It's fine, Ai-chan. They're my comrades!" she declared, brightly.

"Please, come back to me, Souji!" cried the small brunette, in response. Souji stared in mute shock. Twice… there was no way it was a coincidence, what was going on? She glanced back towards Kondo and Hijikata.

"… My… my fiancé must not be feeling well," she tried to explain, but both men simply seemed perplexed.

"You said she was a shy girl, Okita-san," Kondo replied, "I'm not about to hold it against her. Hijikata-san can be quite a frightening man, after all!"

He smiled and glanced towards the other man, who simply turned away with a small sigh.

Neither of them had heard it, again? What did any of this mean? It was as if somehow Ai was speaking only to her, even though there was no way anyone could have missed those plaintive cries… every moment that went by, the platinum blonde swordswoman became more and more uncertain. Why was this happening?

"Souji, you're… you're the light in my life, Souji! You're the one who guided me out of the darkness… there's no-one else in the world who can say that!"

Images suddenly ran through Souji's brain, breaking through her confusion. A dark parking garage. A shadowy woman, poised to attack… attack Ai… memories were starting to awaken within her, slowly but surely. What… was this her dream? No, no, this wasn't her dream at all, was it?

As she clutched her forehead, Kondo got off of his horse and approached.

"Perhaps you're the one feeling unwell, Okita-san," he began, concerned, "Maybe you need to rest."

But it was slowly becoming more and more clear. A more and more detailed image of what was really happening was being painted by the second.

"Souji… It's me! Ai! I'm here for you… so follow my voice! Please…"

Souji began to stand.

"… No… I'm fine, Kondo-san," she replied, giving him a small smile. This moment in the sunlight, completely unaffected by illness, in a world where the Shinsengumi had never been destroyed… it was something she had hoped for, wasn't it? Not simply to fight to the end, though that was her wish, but for her friends to have never perished in the first place.

But this was an impossible world, for Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isami, and everyone else she had called a comrade was long dead.

This wasn't hope.

It was an illusion.

"… I'm sorry, both of you…" she began, giving them a grim smile, "… But…"

She glanced back towards Ai.

"… S-Souji… I… I love you… I… b-before I die… I wanted to tell you… one more time…"

Everything here was false. Except…

"… There's only one thing here that's real."

Suddenly gripping her katana, Souji took a deep breath, sliding her feet into a ready stance as she did. She drew her sword back, and…!

* * *

Her words couldn't reach Saber.

No matter how much she plead, Avenger's Noble Phantasm was simply too powerful. And it seemed as if the unhinged woman's patience had dissolved from its initial point, as she was glaring down at Ai with a ring of purple light forming above her head.

"I believe I may have changed my mind," Pandora said, those dull gold eyes managing to shine with an intensity that could only be described as terrifying, "You'll burn anyway, so why not get it out of the way? I've suffered enough to reach this point, after all."

Ai could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She'd failed, then…? They'd all failed. She'd never see Souji again, and the world would burn in a sea of black mud.

It was the end.

Ai sat beside the golden orb, as she heard the whine of Pandora's power building. It was likely that she planned to annihilate the small magus in a single blow.

There was only one more thing Ai could say, now, as she tried to choke back her tears.

"… S-Souji…" she began, voice cracking, "… I… I love you… I… b-before I die… I wanted to tell you…"

Ai hugged herself, tightly. She couldn't be embraced by Souji…

"… O-one more time…"

There was a sound like shattering glass.

Surprised, Pandora paused, and Ai suddenly straightened, glancing towards the source of the noise.

It was the orb of golden light. From it, there protruded the blade of a katana… Saber's katana! Almost immediately, realizing that even if Ai died Saber would remain a threat for too long after the loss of her Master, Pandora trained her magic circles on the golden orb as the girl samurai cut her way free!

The first thing that Souji was greeted with immediately upon exiting the dissipating orb of light was a barrage of brilliant purple lasers. Even as they rained down, the swordswoman had already darted to the side, immediately interposing herself between her opponent and the girl she loved.

"S-Souji-san!" cried Ai, the joy palpable in her voice at the sight of her Servant.

"I'm sorry, Ai-chan," replied Saber, as her feet slid into a ready stance once more, and she raised her katana parallel to her eyes. "I let myself get caught up in something like that… The sort of false hope that never could have happened."

There was a sadness to her smile, as she glanced back at Ai for a moment… but soon her gaze hardened, silver-gold eyes fixed on Avenger.

"… So, you were capable of denying the reality of my Noble Phantasm, Saber?" asked Avenger, cocking her head to one side as she did. Souji narrowed her eyes. That was no reality. It was falsity, a cruel illusion of the things she had desired in an attempt to keep her trapped. But that wasn't all. Moments after laying her eyes upon the enemy Servant, the girl samurai recognized that something was… different about her now. She seemed less composed, her eyes more wild. There were black bloodstains around her mouth, and across her dress. Had Ai somehow injured her? As much as she had faith in the small brunette's capabilities as a Master, the same couldn't be said for her ability to fight an enemy like this by herself.

Speaking of which, her Ai appeared to be thankfully not seriously injured, though her body was bruised and there were cuts here and there nothing seemed to be too concerning… That was something Souji could take solace in, in these moments as she squared off against Avenger. Her body tensed, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice!

"At least… at least it showed you the true nature of hope, didn't it?" questioned Pandora, spreading her arms wide. As she did, a multitude of purple magic circles spread above her, stretching to the ceiling.

"Get back, Ai!" warned Saber.

"B-but… I… I need to heal you, if you're injured, and-" the short girl cut herself off for a moment, and then shook her head. "… I have faith in you, Souji. I know you can end this."

With that, the short girl hurried to the entrance of the chamber, ideally out of Pandora's focus. The Avenger-class Servant appeared to be entirely focused on Saber herself, regardless.

"It's sad if you believe that's what hope is, Avenger. It was a cruel illusion of things that someone wishes for, but can never have," Saber said, carefully stepping forward. Almost immediately a barrage of lasers fired down towards her, forcing the platinum blonde swordswoman to hurl herself across the room to avoid the scorching destruction launched at the place she once stood! When she landed, Souji rolled once, swiftly righting herself and readying her sword.

"Then what is hope, Saber?!" snarled Avenger, another set of lasers firing, trained on Saber. The Servant moved, her form blurring, scarf fluttering in the air behind her as she sprinted around the room, dodging beams of destructive mana, using the flat of her blade to deflect them, sometimes just barely grazing by! It was a deadly dance, but she had to keep outrunning them!

"Can hope revive the dead?!" asked Pandora, mockingly, "Can hope punish the wicked?! Did lying there in bed and hoping you wouldn't cough yourself to death help you in any way, Okita Souji?!"

A brilliant ball of purple light ignited, swelling to be larger than Avenger herself, illuminating the entire chamber as the Servant drifted into the air, pointing up towards it. The moment she lowered her hand to point at Souji, a brilliant beam of mana tore through the room, searing the air as it went! Even though she had already begun to move, it was just barely enough for Saber to evade the brunt of the damage, the force of the impact sending her hurtling through the air, slamming into a nearby wall! She let out a gasp of pain, feeling a burning sensation blaze through her back. She heard Ai's voice call her name…

The samurai fell to the floor. Her limbs simply wouldn't respond… had her back broken? Had… had she misjudged her own injuries? It was suddenly hard to feel anything…

"Just as you said, hope is a cruel illusion!" cried Avenger, reaching out to take her box in one hand, "Just as I showed you! It's a wicked thing that can make someone believe they can still be loved! Even after they unleashed an atrocity on the world! An evil, terrible concept that seeks nothing but the misery of those who have it! The same misery you will feel when this world descends into flames and darkness, Okita Souji!"

The geometric patterns on the box twisted towards the edge once more, and it began to open…

"I have consumed that false grail! Even now, its ability to reject me becomes weaker and weaker, power is flowing through me!" continued Pandora, a wild look in her dull gold eyes, "I'll destroy everything the gods loved, I'll eradicate the very idea of hope by eradicating all of humanity, and this burning world will serve as a symbol of the revenge of Pandora, the girl betrayed by the gods!"

And the mud spewed fourth from the box, seething with black and red as it hurtled toward's Souji's prone form!

"By the power of my command seal, rise to your feet, Souji! You can do this!"

In an instant, every injury preventing Saber's movement was mended. Without a moment's delay, the samurai snapped to her feet, exploding across the room, almost leaving a trail of sizzling earth in her wake as the mud slammed into the spot where she had once laid.

"… You…" Avenger's mad gaze left Saber, falling upon Ai.

The brunette was holding up her right hand, one of the red seals fading away.

"Even if I'd wanted to use these before, I was too frightened at first," began the brunette magus, glaring at the floating Pandora, "And even after I stopped being afraid, there was only once any reason to use them. But that means I can use the last two to help the girl I love surpass you completely and take you down, Pandora!"

Avenger trembled with rage for a moment, but then her crooked grin returned.

"You can't support your Servant if you're dead!" she shouted, the box twisting in the air, the mud roiling…!

"You should be looking at me!"

Avenger's head snapped towards the source of the voice, and she could only barely erect her barrier as Souji's katana came slamming down, tip crashing into the translucent purple shield! Cracks ran through it, and the force of the blow sent Pandora hurtling towards the ground!

With a resounding crash, the divine gift of the gods slammed into the earth, hard enough to leave an impact crater! She gasped in shock, but was able to use what remained of her barrier to deflect Saber's follow-up strike, sparks flying. But even that knocked her to the side, sending Avenger rolling across the floor before she could catch herself!

Souji rose swiftly, an intense fire burning in her silver-gold eyes as she stared down the stunned Pandora, gripping her katana as she slid her feet into a ready stance, drawing her blade parallel to her eyes.

"You're wrong, Avenger!" she declared, "Hope isn't an illusion. It's nothing as tangible as that. Hope is the idea, the dream that the future can be better!"

"… D-damn you…!" snarled Avenger, opening up a barrage of lasers once more! This time, Souji sprang into action, darting out of their path even as they traced her movements!

"It didn't do anything for me, as I lay there dying in bed. I hoped for every moment that I would recover, so at least I could fight until the very end with everyone whom I called my friend!"

As Avenger struggled to rise, she summoned another great orb of magical energy. But this time, Saber was ready! She wouldn't let it take her by surprise again, now she knew just how hard it would hit! She flashed through the air, disappearing and reappearing in striking distance of her opponent!

"But that's not everything that hope is!"

Her blade slammed down, piercing the concrete! Avenger had managed to flee to the air, at the last possible moment!

"Sometimes, hope can't do anything on its own. Sometimes, it might seem like it's nothing," Saber continued as she rose, raising her sword, "… At the end, maybe that's how I thought… But that doesn't mean that's all hope can be. Hope is the drive that lets someone think of a new solution! It's the reason that sometimes the weaker opponent can imagine a future in which the defeat a seemingly insurmountable enemy and make it a reality! Hope is nothing on its own, but hope is everything that lets someone imagine something better!"

"… You… it didn't help you as you lay dying, and yet you still believe in it?! Why?! I hoped that humanity would forgive me, that it was all some kind of cruel dream, and yet I have gone down in history as the one who unleashed all evil onto this planet!" Avenger practically shrieked, dozens of orbs of purple light appearing above her arms and shoulders, "How… how dare you claim that hope is this wonderful thing! How dare you!"

The lasers fired, this time aiming to cut off every escape route Souji could possibly take! But she wasn't about to give up so easily! Her blade flashed, deflecting the first laser, then the second, then the third…! But at this rate, they might have overwhelmed her…!

"Souji!" she heard Ai's voice over the screaming of the mana lasers, "I know it ,there's know way that you'll let me down! I trust you completely!"

Saber suddenly felt power, mana flowing through her limbs. But this wasn't the command seal... it was her own self-suggestion, reinforcing her body to the point where she could achieve such a feat, beyond the capability of a magus! A faint light crawled across the edge of her blade…! She found herself moving faster then she ever had before, her limbs appearing to vanish as she deflected the seemingly endless barrage!

"Simply because hope was unable to help me when I lay dying… that doesn't mean it's wrong!" cried Okita, taking a step forward as she cast the last of the blasts away with a flick of her now-blazing sword. She was going to prove every single word of Avenger's madness wrong!

"Hope can't cure illnesses, nor revive the dead, nor punish the wicked!" she continued, "But hope can drive people to learn to cure illnesses, to deliver justice on wrongdoers, to carry on the legacy of those who came before! That's what hope is, Pandora!"

"… So… so what?!" Avenger practically screamed, her voice, her expression seeming almost desperate now, even as she summoned more and more of her magic circles, enough to fill the room with purple light, "I've already merged with the false grail! With every moment, I'm assimilating it more and more! Soon, there's nothing you'll be able to do to stop me! What can you possibly do with your hope and a single command seal!?"

Souji's body tensed, and she slid her feet apart, readying her katana.

"I'm going to surpass everything you throw at me, kill you, and shatter the delusional revenge that's warped your mind!"

Avenger could do nothing more than let out a shriek of rage as she let loose her barrage of destructive mana, raining down beams of purple magical energy sufficient to cover nearly the entire chamber once more! Thankfully, Ai was still out of the direct path of the beams, so Souji could focus on evasion! It was another deadly dance, another display of speed and agility as the girl samurai darted through the razor-thing gaps between each falling beam of magical energy. In comparison to the first time, it was a much more wild and uncontrolled display of power, but that also meant it was much less coordinated!

There was barely any gap between each random burst of energy, but the aim wasn't as good, she could slip through the space between the rain of magical energy with each flash of movement!

Shaking with rage, eyes burning with a wild intensity, Pandora shook in the air even as she directed more and more beams of mana to fire down at Saber.

"I'll kill you… Kill you… kill you kill you kill you kill you kill you kill you!" screamed Avenger, as she diverted her magical energy into a single large orb once more, "I'll annihilate everything that you are, Saber!"

Souji took a deep breath, as the orb of light swelled brighter and larger, greater than any of the previous balls of magical energy she had created before. Its glow was overtaking the entire room, starting to burn away at the ceiling of the chamber as it grew bigger and bigger…!

"DIE!"

With a roar, the beam of light tore through the air, blazing a path right towards Saber! Even as she darted to the side, it followed her, carving a sizzling path through the stony floor behind her. It was so much more powerful then any of the attacks that Avenger had already used… it had to be because of the fake grail!

When Souji reached the wall, she swiftly placed her foot on it, using her agility to run along the wall, advancing upwards towards Avenger! Blind with rage, the deathly pale Servant didn't realize that Saber was doing anything other than attempting to evade her attack, even as the girl samurai ran up across the wall as swiftly as she could manage! But when she was in line with Avenger herself…!

With a shout, Saber leapt from the wall with a noise like a gunshot, flashing through the air and reaching Pandora in an instant! This time, when she attempted to summon a barrier in surprise, it shattered under Souji's blade! She struck true, piercing Avenger's torso beneath her breasts, driving her blade clear through the dark Servant as the both hurtled towards the ground!

Avenger landed first, gasping, spitting her blackened blood as she hit the floor beneath Saber! But before the platinum blonde swordswoman could attempt to ensure that her opponent died, a flurry of black mud erupted from the box and hurtled towards her, forcing her to spring backwards to avoid it!

Avenger rose, clutching the wound in her torso, glaring with fire in her golden eyes.

"What, did you think that would be enough to kill me!?" she snarled. The flow of blood was already ceasing, the wound already mending… Souji had missed the false grail, and failed to do enough damage to stop Avenger from healing.

However…

"It's simple, Avenger. I missed my target!" declared Saber, "But now I've refined my aim!"

"You won't get a second chance, Okita Souji!"

Avenger raised her hand, generating another array of purple lights once again. She was trying to use another barrage of magical energy?! No, she was turning them inwards, this wasn't another wild, rage-filled attack… this was a maneuver that Avenger had put thought into, as she constructed multiple layers of magical barriers, stacking them over and over until there was dozens! Even with the self-reinforcement that the samurai gained from wearing her haori, there was no way Souji could break through those shields quickly! Not after how many blows It had taken to destroy the first!

"I'll simply wait you out, Saber!" explained Avenger, grinning wildly, "No matter how quickly you destroy my barriers, you won't reach me before I've fully merged with the grail. I can feel it, now. It's no longer rejecting me!"

Even though Avenger was taking a more defensive approach, there was another wall of purple orbs steadily forming, spreading across the entire room…!

"You won't be able to stop me before I've fully merged with the false grail and plunged this world into darkness and fire!"

Souji took a deep breath. There was a dozen of the large, circular barriers, and it had taken quite some time to fully pierce even a single one! On top of that, the room was being filled with light again, and while she was capable of dodging the beams, trying to break the barriers at the same time… the swordswoman simply wasn't sure it was something that she could achieve.

But… she had to try! For humanity's sake! For Ai's sake!

Saber drew one foot back, even as every single point of light grew brighter, drawing her blade parallel to her eyes. Even if she didn't know if she'd be able to do it, there was no way that should could possibly allow herself to give up. She would shatter every single one of those barriers, or at least she'd throw her entire existence into doing so!

Ai's eyes drifted down to the back of her hand. There remained her final command seal. As much as she boasted about how she would use them to ensure Souji won the fight, she suddenly found herself frightened of doing so. The loss of all three command seals meant that a magus lost their right to be a Master… but was that the severance of the contract entirely, or simply the loss of the ability to order a Servant directly? She didn't need something like that, she trusted Souji more then anyone else! But in this moment, she didn't want to lose her…

Her eyes drifted from the back of her right hand, to the samurai facing down a wall of purple light.

Ai made her decision.

She placed every single drop of hope she had left into it.

"Okita Souji!" she cried, "By the power of my final command seal… break through every single one of those barriers, and kill Pandora!"

And then… then Souji could feel it.

This wasn't the self-reinforcement she had been applying the entire time, the self-suggestion that enhanced her body. This surpassed that by orders of magnitude. The final command seal that faded from Ai's hand suddenly flowed into the girl samurai's body, filling her with strength beyond what she had ever had. The light that had flowed across her weapon was no longer the simple flare that had appeared before, a blue sheath of magical energy had seemed to materialize and crawl up the length of her katana, encasing it in brilliance. Her entire body felt as if it should be shining, blazing with power! The command seal had performed reinforcement beyond anything a magus would be capable of, to allow her to shatter those barriers and reach Avenger!

"You… I'll… I'll stop you!" screamed Pandora, as her lights flared with magical energy!

Souji took a deep breath, as the blasts of magical energy began to fire! This time, they were focused, aiming at her, tracing her every movement. But her body blurred, her scarf fluttering behind her, a Saber tore her way across the room! Each blast burned its way into the floor, ripping its way through the solid stone like it was nothing, but the girl samurai a managed to keep just out of reach! This was the agility granted to her by her haori! She wouldn't allow them to catch her!

"This blade of mine… this concealed sword!" she began, "It's been the tool I used again and again, my most trusted sword. I may be a manslayer, but this is the weapon I held close to my heart even as I killed!"

Pandora almost seemed to growl, raising one hand. As she did, the black mud she had dispensed from the box suddenly rose, seething like it possessed its own will and life, and began to surge through the air towards Saber, from the opposite direction! The sword-wielding Servant decided the best path was to cut her way up the middle, breaking towards Avenger as she did! But she still had to reach her, she still had to get to those barriers!

"You won't stop me! I'll destroy you!" screamed Pandora, desperation and rage filling her voice!

"In life, I became famous for my skill with a blade, for killing others! I became famous for a sword technique that belongs to me alone!" declared Saber. She could feel it, the beams of magical energy were gaining on her, streaking through the air and hissing into the earth behind her. The mud, meanwhile, launched itself upwards, adhering to the ceiling and flowing along above her! Before she could reach the barriers, it dropped, hurtling towards Souji in an attempt to completely consume her body!

Saber sprang backwards and twisted her body in the air, the flat of her gleaming katana deflecting a flurry of lasers before they could strike, spinning immediately when her first foot hit the ground to redirect herself towards Avenger.

She wouldn't stop, she couldn't. As moved faster and faster, the world around her was reduced to a blur, with streaks of light being the lasers as she darted through them. Ahead of her, the figure of Avenger behind her dozens of barriers was in sharp relief…!

"This is my greatest pride, Avenger! Receive the brilliance of this concealed sword!"

The entire world seemed to slow down, as Souji thrust one foot forward. The moment she did, she launched herself forward, using every ounce of her strength, the strength provided by the command seal, to seemingly vanish once more! Her blade blazed brilliantly, empowered by the seal's mana, as it struck each and every one of the barriers, shattering them as Saber went!

The girl samurai paused just before Avenger, drawing her sword back. Yes… her final technique, the ultimate, unblockable blow!

"You…!"

An orb of light seemed to form above her, shimmering as it filled with boundless magical energy! Doubtlessly, Avenger had fully merged with the false grail, and yet…!

"Mumyou…"

Saber's katana gleamed in the light of the forming ball of magical energy, blazing brilliantly, as if it was illuminated by the sun!

"SANDANZUKI!"

Three strikes. The tip of the blade struck three times, even as Saber sailed past Avenger! Each time hit home, for there was no longer anything that could be done to obstruct them. The legendary sword technique belonging to Okita Souji and only Okita Souji, the technique that could break causality itself in order to strike its target. The technique that had slain Skuld's great boar.

It was the technique that blew a hole clear through Avenger's torso and out the other side! Pandora let out a strangled gasp as Saber hurtled through the air behind her!

The tip of the blade met the false grail, and with a sound like the ringing of the bell the golden cup was split in half!

Sparks flew up from Souji's feet as she hit the ground behind Avenger, using her momentum, she spun in place and drew her katana up to the level of her eyes, ready to strike once more

But there was no need.

Pandora slowly landing, falling to her knees. The split grail fell behind her with a dull, metallic thud. Saber's katana had destroyed not only the false grail, but Avenger's heart, as well. There was no need to ensure such a thing, when the perfectly circular hole went clear through the enemy Servant's body.

Slowly, Saber lowered her blade. The purple lights faded, the mud suddenly redirecting into Pandora's Box. The patterns on the box ceased to move, and it fell to the ground beside Avenger herself.

For a moment, the only sound in the chamber was Pandora's ragged breathing.

"It's over, Avenger," declared Saber, holding her katana at her size. The halves of the fake grail sat uselessly on the floor, split completely in half. Black blood trickled from the corner of the pale woman's mouth, and it stained Saber's blade as the glow faded, the command seal's power spent after allowing her to shatter the barriers.

"… That's… true… isn't it…?" she heard Pandora say, as her silver-gold eyes remained fixed on the dying Servant. "… To think… all it took was a spirit of the human order with the power of two command seals… And here I thought that the cancellation of divine gifts would have been my path to victory."

It was strange. For all this time, Avenger had been speaking in this crazed, obsessive, maniacal fashion. But now… now she seemed serene. As if, in death, a calmness had overtaken her. There was no ranting, no rejection of the events that were occurring. She simply sat there, speaking softly as she died.

"… This… is what your hope allowed you to do, Okita Souji?" asked Pandora, looking weakly back over her shoulder. Even now, Pandora's box was already beginning to fade, "To destroy the revenge that I planned for so long… on the tip of your sword?"

Souji shook her head. That wasn't it at all.

"No, Pandora," she began, "Hope allowed me to see the future in which I claimed victory. But it was Ai who allowed me to defeat you."

"… H… heh…"

Avenger spat blood as she coughed.

"… Is that so?" asked the dark Servant, "I'll never stop desiring revenge, Okita Souji. Even if you've struck me down here… I want to take my revenge on the gods of Greece no matter what future this world has."

"Then I'm certain someone will be there to stop you," asserted Saber, with a nod.

"… You sound so sure of that," responded Avenger, "… But somehow… I hope that's… t-…"

Avenger's body slackened.

The box finished fading into nothingness, purple motes of light drifting away into the air. Before Avenger's body hit the ground, it, too, faded into nothingness.

Pandora was gone.

As she disappeared, the black material holding Rani IV against the wall vanished, as well. Saber reacted quickly, catching the small, dark-skinned girl as she fell limply. She was still breathing and seemed to be completely unharmed.

"Souji!" cried Ai, rushing into the chamber as the girl samurai laid Rani IV down. "Y-you did it! I-"

Ai cut herself off, staring in horror at Saber's hands.

The swordswoman looked down.

She could see through her hands.

* * *

Souji's hands… they were fading away…

Shaking, Ai immediately grasped at her Servant in desperation. She had used all her command seals, but… that didn't mean she wasn't still providing mana. The contract between them still existed! So why… why…

Slowly, Ai's golden eyes fell upon the false grail. The only way to ensure Avenger perished had been to destroy her very core, and at her core, her heart… there had been the false grail.

"… S-Souji! N-no, I'll… I'll contract with you again, I'll…" desperately, the brunette looked from side to side. Servants were familiars, weren't they?! Even if they were of an order far beyond any others. That meant that some sort of contract could be forged, right? Something like that had to be possible, didn't it?!

"…"

The girl samurai was silent for a moment. Yes! She could reestablish a contract to support her Servant, even though the fake grail had been destroyed, couldn't she!? Ai knew it had to be true. They didn't need to be separated! That was how it worked, wasn't it?! It had to be, didn't it?! The small girl grasped at Souji's hands, holding them up, attempting to reforge the bond…

"… Ai… Ai-chan…" said her Servant, giving her a small smile, "… I… I destroyed the grail. Even if it was a fake… well… even I know that the reason a Heroic Spirit can be summoned and brought into this world as a Servant is because of the Holy Grail."

"N-no!" cried Ai, "That's… that… it doesn't have to be th-that way! Servants are familiars, e-even if they're heroic spirits, as long as a contract can be f-forged between us… it'll be fine, won't it?!"

But, as the small magus looked at Souji's slowly-fading hands, she began to realize. A human couldn't support a Servant by themselves. Not even the most powerful magus could ensure such a link was maintained without the support of something like the Holy Grail.

This was supposed to be a moment of celebration. The fact that they had defeated Avenger, the fact that they'd saved the world… this was supposed to be the moment that they could both embrace one another and be together.

"… I-it… a-after all… all this time…" Ai began, feeling tears start to well up in her eyes," We've been together all this time… I-I finally found someone I love with all my heart, a-and now you're g-going to disappear?! I-it's not fair! It's… i-it's not fair…"

Suddenly, she felt Souji's arms around her, pulling her close. The warmth of the girl samurai's body, holding her so tightly…. It should have been comforting, but instead it only served as a reminder of what she was about to lose. Ai buried her face in Souji's haori, sobbing. She'd finally discovered the girl she loved, finally found the one who could belong in her heart… and she was going to fade away.

"… I'm… so sorry, Ai-chan…" said Souji, holding Ai close, "… I… I realized, when Avenger said she had absorbed the grail, what I might have to do… but I… I'd hoped…"

The swordswoman's voice was wavering, as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"I-I'd hoped I wouldn't have to leave…"

"Wh-what's the point!?" cried Ai, looking back up at the girl she loved as she did, "I wanted so badly to be together with you, Souji! I… I wanted… a-after we defeated Avenger, I… I thought… I thought that…!"

"… I… I know…" said Souji, wiping her eyes and swallowing, hard, "… But… but even now… even now, Ai, I'll be with you, won't I? Even in the end… there's nothing in the world that can take the time we spent together away from you."

"… B-but I don't want memories… I want you, Souji," responded Ai, in a trembling voice, as she threw her arms around her slowly-fading Servant, desperately trying to see if she could somehow hold her there. "I w-wanted to be with you until the very end!"

She buried her face back into Souji's haori.

"Why?! Why did it have to be like this?!"

She could feel, even as they faded, Souji's fingers clutching at her clothing.

"… I swear, Ai… No matter what happens, even until the very end of the world… even if there's no possible way it seems like it could ever come true… we'll be together again."

Ai trembled. Even if there was no possible way… even if it didn't seem like it could ever happen. … But… When it came to heroic spirits, even recent ones like Okita Souji, didn't they always discover ways to violate what was considered to be 'possible'?

If… if there was any hope… if there was any possibility… someone who had made it to be recorded on the Throne of Heroes…

"… Ai…"

"S-Souji…"

Both girls' lips came together, one more time. One more time, Ai was able to feel Souji's warmth, and the beat of her heart. She shut her eyes and embraced her Servant tightly, just as she was embraced. The held the girl she loved close, and felt her softness of her lips.

And then, she was gone.

She could feel it, Souji had vanished entirely. She didn't want to open her eyes and see it, though… But… eventually…

Ai opened her eyes. There, as she expected, as she knew, was the empty spot on the floor that Okita Souji had once occupied. The only thing that remained of her was her fallen blade, lying there on the floor.

Almost immediately, those words of reassurance seemed hollow.

The tears began to flow once again, an Ai buried her face in her hands. Souji was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She only looked up when she heard the sound of someone stirring…

"… Matsushita?"

It was Rani's voice. Slowly, Ai looked up, shaking, her eyes red. There was Rani IV, sat up, looking around slowly.

"… Avenger… you defeated Avenger?" she asked, "Then… the threat she poses is ended…"

"Ai?!"

Ai looked back over her shoulder. There was Tsubaki, and Marion… and Rani V and Alys, as well. They'd all made it down here…

Rani V immediately went to tend to Rani IV, and Tsubaki…

Wordlessly, Tsubaki knelt beside Ai, and wrapped her arms around her. Nothing had to be said. Tsubaki knew what had happened, and Ai knew that Tsubaki knew.

The broken false grail lay on the floor.

The second Minami Holy Grail War had come to an end.


	20. Epilogue

It was strange.

For all that had happened, for everything that had occurred over the course of the Holy Grail War, from the vicious battles on the streets to the destruction in the parking garage, to the death or disappearance of every Servant…

Life went on.

For someone who experienced the battle first-hand, it was difficult to reconcile what followed. The fact that everything was just so… normal afterwards…

For a while, Ai simply couldn't understand it. She couldn't reconcile what she had experienced with the fact that life simply seemed to go back to normal after the war.

And she hated how empty her home felt.

It had been two weeks since the end of the Holy Grail War, and she hadn't stopped hating it.

Okita Souji was gone, after all.

Marianne had initially seemed rather morose, but by this point she'd moved to attempting to improve Ai's mood, with Charlotte's assistance, treating her as well as possible and preparing new and unique meals for her.

It wasn't really helping, but Ai couldn't fault Marianne for trying.

School had resumed, presumably because it had been determined that the building was safe after the apparent severe damage and gas leak. It was what had been officially stated as the reason for so many passed-out students and faculty members.

It was just something else that felt strange after having been part of the Holy Grail War.

Ai hadn't wanted to go, at least at first. But eventually, after slowly realizing that Souji wouldn't have wanted her to simply sit around at home and do nothing with the rest of her life, the small brunette had reluctantly began to go again.

Today was just like any other day, in that respect.

"… Ojou-sama, it's time to wake up again."

Ai heard Marianne's voice, but for a few moments she didn't stir.

"… Ojou-sama…"

She felt her maid's gentle hands come to rest on her shoulder, gently shaking her. Slowly, Ai sat up and rubbed her eyes blearily, Marianne giving her a small smile.

"There we go," she said, "Breakfast will be ready, soon, ojou-sama. I'm making pancakes!"

Her smile grew, slightly, and the maid left the room.

In a sedate fashion, Ai went about her morning routine, showering and getting dressed, putting her hair up in braids. She only took a moment to look at herself in the mirror before turning to head downstairs.

On the girl's desk sat the very sword she had used to summon her Servant, sheathed and on a small display stand.

When she made it there, her eyes lingered on the spot near the window… that was where Souji would be almost every morning, standing guard over the house as she had insisted on doing, before. Every morning, it was the same. Ai couldn't help but look, as if she was hoping that the girl samurai would be there again, against all odds. That they would be reunited just like she had promised.

She never was.

Souji's absence wasn't the only reason the house felt so empty. Alys had returned to her home, as well, now that the war was over and the greatest threats to her safety had been dealt with. She had asked Ai to visit her, but so far she hadn't done so yet. She just hadn't been able to make it there, when she thought about it… it felt difficult to bring herself to.

It wasn't that she didn't want to see Alys again, but it had just always been difficult to make it there in the two weeks since the end of the war.

Regardless, the lack of Alys and her maids was yet another reason that the house just felt empty… even if the main reason was the absence of Okita Souji herself.

Why did it have to be like this…?

When Ai had breakfast, it… well, it was delicious, there was no denying that. The light, fluffy pancakes and crispy-yet-chewy bacon… it was the occasional western-style breakfast that Marianne would sometimes prepare, even though her usual focus was Japanese cooking.

But…

She'd grown so used to eating with others during the Holy Grail War… sitting at the huge table alone…

It just felt wrong.

She managed to distract herself with the taste of Marianne's excellent cooking, at least, and had soon finished her meal.

Marianne provided her with her lunch, and both maids waved at her as she departed for classes. It was strange, really… while she still felt somewhat reluctant to go to school, it felt so much more normal now…

So much had changed since the advent of the Holy Grail War, and yet so much had gone back to being the same.

The walk to school had never changed, even if it still felt odd to be undertaking it again.

And really… neither had school itself, had it? The classes were the same, even if the material changed as time went on. Everything was completely normal, even after the massive attack using the poisonous bounded field, and the evil actions of Natsuki Yukihiro, nothing seemed to have changed around here at all.

Well… maybe that wasn't accurate.

The school itself hadn't changed, but one way or another… Ai wasn't eating her lunches alone, any longer.

It wasn't just Tsubaki anymore, though. Sachiko had taken to eating lunch with her, too, as well as some of Tsubaki's other friends… lunch didn't really feel too lonely at all.

"Have you been feeling any better, Matsushita-san?" asked Sachiko, leaning forward across the desk, her pigtails bobbing as she did, "You've seemed really down ever since classes reopened… I guess it's probably rough having to get back on-schedule, huh?"

She could never tell anyone just what had happened. The Holy Grail War, magecraft, it all had to remain a secret…

"… Y-yeah… that must be it…"

Tsubaki glanced towards her. She knew that the other girl had to be feeling pretty badly as well, given what had happened with Lancer… she hadn't even considered trying to talk about that with her yet. She didn't know what to say.

"I know I had a hard time," continued Sachiko, "But by now I think I'm over it. Still though, if you ask me…"

She leaned towards the other two girls in a conspiratorial fashion.

"I don't think it was any ordinary gas leak!" half-whispered the pigtailed girl, with a nod of her head, "How could a gas leak make everyone pass out at the same time? And what damaged the floor like that? There's no way it was normal! Something weird happened, there's no way it was just a gas leak!"

For a few moments, both Ai and Tsubaki were silent. It wasn't like any speculation would put the girl in danger from others attempting to keep magecraft and the Holy Grail War a secret, but the fact that Sachiko had put the thought into it… well, it was hard not to wonder what she thought had happened.

"So… what do you think happened?" asked Tsubaki, cocking her head towards Sachiko as she spoke, "What made everyone pass out?"

"Hmmm…"

Tapping her chin, Sachiko leaned back in her seat, legs crossed as one of her feet twitched back and fourth.

"It… must have been spies!" she insisted, suddenly, "Spies using some sort of nerve gas to knock everyone out! That's the only possible explanation."

It was hard to feel sad when someone said something so ridiculous. Ai stared incredulously at Sachiko, and Tsubaki gave a similar stare of blank confusion.

"Why… why would there be spies in our school, Sachiko-chan?" asked Tsubaki, after several moments of baffled silence. Ai had a similar question on her mind. Why would Sachiko think that spies would invade their school? Even knowing the truth left the small brunette trying to figure out what circumstances had possibly led Sachiko to think that was the case. Was there some sort of esoteric line of clues that her police officer father had discovered that she had followed that caused her to form that conclusion in her head? Did Sachiko frequently indulge in bizarre conspiracy theories featuring spies and secret organizations!?

For these few moments, Ai had managed not to think about the way in which the Holy Grail War had ended.

"Well… um… maybe our school is just a front, to select… um… to select… the next generation of defenders for the nation of Japan!" insisted the pigtailed girl suddenly, with a firm nod. This only made her assertion that the responsibility fell on spies even more ridiculous, because the explanation for it was just as absurd as the conclusion. The 'straight-laced' image of Sachiko that Ai had built in her mind came crumbling down explosively. The daughter of a police officer, a member of the student council, and… someone who came up with outrageous conspiracy theories.

Of course, the truth was still far more unusual then Sachiko had concluded, but that didn't make the girl's assertion any less ridiculous. There was no reason for her to have come to any of these weird conclusions!

"How… how would that work, Sachiko-chan?" asked Tsubaki, staring in blank confusion at her friend and fellow student council member.

"Hmmm… well, there's a couple possibilities!" insisted Sachiko, now clearly on a roll with her theories, "First off, it has to be that some of the students here are really good at synchronizing with the technology they use! It could be… huge, biomechanical mecha!"

Sachiko raised her hands, gesturing wildly to indicate the size of the proposed creations. By this point, Ai wasn't sure if there was any way that the situations the pigtailed girl was concocting could become any more absurd.

"Or it could be something a little easier to hide… like… yeah! They're going to collect all the girls with the best singing voices," declared Sachiko, suddenly, "and put them in armor that synchs up with their singing, so they can fight monsters from another dimension!"

Oh, that was how it could get more ridiculous.

And on top of it all, Sachiko was folding her arms smugly, nodding to herself as if she had just said something profound, as if she had just come to the most obvious and likely conclusion.

In spite of everything, in spite of what had happened only two weeks earlier, it was impossible to help it.

Ai began to laugh. Tsubaki joined in, too. It was just too ridiculous, what Sachiko had put forward. Even knowing what really happened, they idea that someone would think it was because of bio-mechanical mecha or superpowered armored idols was one of the silliest things that they could have heard.

Especially since Ai was quite aware of a couple series that had those exact premises, but that was beside the point.

"H-hey!" protested Sachiko, leaning forward, "It's not like those are any more ridiculous then it being a gas leak! Gas leaks don't just cause everyone to pass out all at once, after all!"

Something silly like this… it was enough to distract her, at least for a little while.

"Muuu… come here, Ai-chan! I need something to hug right now, after all this bullying!"

"Hawawawa!?"

At least…

The rest of the school day went by fairly uneventfully. Nothing of particular note happened, and lessons carried on as they did every other day. It was in that time that Ai's mind drifted back… to the feeling of Souji's lips… the sense of loss, the feeling when she was suddenly no longer there…

By the time the school day ended, any positivity that had been born during the conversation at lunch had been drained away. It was impossible to keep her mind off the topic of Souji, and of the fact that the spot she had once occupied would now be empty.

It wasn't a feeling that would even leave, and in a way… Ai didn't want it to. If it did… it was one of the things that kept her tied to the girl she loved. If that was gone, what would she ever do?

Tsubaki was outside the school, waiting for her as she left.

"… Hey, Ai-san… how are you?"

Ai averted her golden eyes, adjusting her glasses slightly as she did. She hadn't spoken to Tsubaki about either of their Servants since the end of the War. It was impossible for her at this point. What was she supposed to say? Both of them had lost their Servants. There was a difference, given that Souji was the one girl that Ai had loved, but that didn't mean that Tsubaki's loss wasn't painful either… Anything she could say would just make things worse. This was the conclusion that Ai had arrived at. There was nothing she could do in this situation to make it any better.

"… I'm okay," she said, simply, still looking away from her friend.

"Ai-san, I know that's not true. You might seem okay when we're with friends, but I know that…" Tsubaki trailed off for a moment, her voice wavering slightly as she hesitated, "… I… know that I'm still not over Lancer… and I know how you must be feeling about what happened with Saber, too."

"…"

Just Tsubaki's mention of Lancer made Ai certain that refusing to talk about this subject was the right choice. Her mind was already full of memories of Saber's voice… her warmth... she never wanted to forget any of it, but she knew, she was certain, that talking about it like this wouldn't help either of them.

"I said I'm fine… I don't want to cause any trouble…" responded Ai, turning to walk away. Before she could leave, Tsubaki swiftly took ahold of her hand, preventing her from moving.

"I never want to forget Lancer. I still feel horrible about what happened to her," she said, quickly, "But that doesn't mean that there's nothing either of us can do. Talking about it can only help. I know… I know that you loved Saber. I know there's no way you could have been prepared for her to disappear at the end of the war like that. So we have to talk about it, Ai-san. Staying quiet and trying not to mention it will only make it hurt even more."

There was a long pause. Ai could feel her shoulder's beginning to tremble, shaking as Tsubaki held her there.

"I-I said that I'm fine, T-Tsubaki-san…" she stammered, feeling the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She could remember Souji's voice, crystal clear in her mind, as she said something silly, or talked about how proud she was of her sword skills, or said that… that she loved her… "P-please… I-I can't… I c-can't…"

She could see Tsubaki's free hand tighten slightly, as the black-haired magus looked away before releasing the Ai's wrist.

"Then… when you're ready, we can talk," she said, finally, "I don't want to push you… I just… I just want to try and help. When you're ready."

It wasn't as if Ai couldn't understand why Tsubaki wanted to try and talk about what had happened. It was quite the opposite, in fact. Tsubaki only wanted to try and address the death of Lancer and the disappearance of Saber because she felt like it would make the both of them recover from the loss. But there was no way Ai could do it yet… she could see that Tsubaki's cheeks had become wet as well, but the taller girl quickly wiped her eyes and tried to change the subject.

"Do you want someone to walk home with you, Ai-san?" she asked. At this point, it was a simple formality. Both Tsubaki and Ai herself knew that the latter hated to walk home alone. She hated being alone in general, really… having been by Souji's side all the time had really affected her. The small brunette was no longer used to being completely solitary all the time. She was glad to have her maids, not only because the took care of the mansion and because Marianne made excellent food, but because it meant she wasn't completely alone in her home.

Ai walked beside Tsubaki as both girls steadily made their way towards the Matsushita mansion. She said very little as she made her way back. To be honest, even though she could barely bring herself to talk right now, all she had really needed was to be beside someone she knew, someone she was close to, right now.

The sun was setting, by this point. The world was once again being painted more and more with oranges and pinks as they walked. While it wasn't over yet, by any stretch of the word, every day brought summer's end closer and closer. Soon, the days would be getting shorter and colder… It was simply something that could only be thought of as unavoidable.

Up ahead, Ai could see her mansion coming into view. Soon enough, both girls had reached the door.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Ai-chan," Tsubaki said, turning and looking down towards Ai, "Just… remember, when you're ready…"

Ai slowly nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Tsubaki-san."

With that, the two went their separate ways. Charlotte opened the door for Ai as she stepped into her mansion, removing her shoes.

"Welcome home, ojou-sama," said the maid, and soon enough Marianne seemed to materialize from around a corner as well.

"Ojou-samaaaaa~" declared the more exuberant of the twin maids, brightly, "I made you something special again!"

The fact was that most days since the end of the war, Marianne had been preparing something special, some kind of snack, every day after school.

"It's one of your favorites this time, a castella!" continued the maid, cheerfully, as she made to lead the way into the kitchen.

"… Eh-heh… um…" Ai hesitated for a moment. Her stomach… she just didn't feel like she had any appetite at all. But she didn't want to disappoint Marianne, either…

"Onee-sama, you keep making such things every day…" began Charlotte, her tone neutral even as she seemed to admonish her sister, "It's as if you want her to put on weight."

"Of course not!" insisted Marianne, with a frown, "I just want to do everything I can to brighten ojou-sama's day!"

"… It's okay, Marianne-san," said Ai, finally, "… I'll have it later."

"Ojou-sama…?"

Slowly, Ai made her way up the stairs.

There was no way she could eat right now.

* * *

It had been a month now, since the end of the Holy Grail War.

Life had almost completely reverted to its normal patterns.

It was strange, to Inoue Tsubaki, how she'd managed to recover. At least, to partially recover. She couldn't allow herself to be totally crushed, after all. Lancer wouldn't have wanted her to end up like that. It was painful to think that Lancer's fate had been to suffer, to be corrupted, and then to fall just before the end of the war. To be torn away from her as well… But at the same time, it wasn't something she could allow herself to dwell on. She had to carry on, for both her own sake and for the beautiful knight's.

When she had told her father what had happened, he had been silent for a long time. Eventually, however, her had stated that the right decision had been made. That the Holy Grail was not worth a massive attack on humanity. That he was proud of her.

Tsubaki hadn't been able to tell him about Hirata Genjiro. She had no idea how it would affect him, but reminding her father of the event that robbed him of his ability to walk and lead to his own role in the death of Matsushita Ai's family… she wasn't ready for that.

She had to keep moving through her life, until it was the right time. That was how Inoue Tsubaki held her head up high and continued her life. She had to. As a magus, she had to press forward, even after losing someone like Lancer.

Ai, however…

It was obvious to the black-haired magus, as she researched greater rituals in her room, that the other girl was suffering. She was still in pain from losing Saber, and unable to talk about it. Tsubaki wasn't sure if it had something to do with the difference in their personal feelings, or if it was the circumstances. She'd wanted to talk about Lancer, to talk about the good things that had come from summoning her. How she didn't regret it, now, even if it ended so painfully. But… it was clear that Ai still wasn't ready.

But there was something else Tsubaki was still pursuing. Aside from her growth as a magus, there was another matter that still remained at the forefront of her mind.

Even after assisting Atlas…

Yumimura Saori remained unaccounted for. It was something Tsubaki still didn't understand, as she looked away from her research towards the setting sun, through her window. What had Atlas done with her? Rani V had said she was safe, but now… now she had just vanished entirely without another word.

Something like this just wasn't the future she had wanted. It wasn't something she wanted to accept. And yet there was not even the slightest clue to her whereabouts. It wasn't as if Tsubaki had know knowledge of the dangers associated with Dead Apostles, but the simple fact was that she still cared about Saori. She wanted to see her again. To know that the other girl wasn't suffering.

Was that really too much to ask? Saori had suffered so much over the course of the Holy Grail War. Far too much. Was it too much to at least know she wasn't suffering any longer, for certain? Couldn't one of the Ranis at least come back and give her an update? Their efforts had been the reason for Rani IV's safety, after all. They'd cleaned up the disaster that Atlas had created. The disaster that destroyed Lancer, the living disaster known as Pandora…

But it had been a month with know contact. Perhaps Atlas really was more concerned with its own efforts.

But that didn't mean that Tsubaki was just going to give up on the possibility of seeing Saori again. Even if she was a Dead Apostle, that didn't mean her personality was gone. It was quite the opposite, given how she'd act when they met shortly before her abduction…

So they had to meet again. Tsubaki couldn't allow there to be a future where they didn't, not if she could help it.

Tsubaki was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that someone had just rang the doorbell downstairs. Not immediately at any rate, though at around the third ring she realized what it was she was hearing. Quickly, she got to her feet, and made her way downstairs. The black-haired girl wasn't exactly expecting anyone, but at the same time there had to be some reason someone had come to the Inoue residence.

"Just a moment, I'm coming," she said, somewhat more irritated, when the doorbell rang yet another time. It was obvious that whoever it was, they were getting impatient.

Part of her almost decided to leave the door unopened. If it was a salesperson, they'd eventually leave, and Tsubaki had been doing something far more important then engaging with someone like that.

But when the tanned magus opened the door, she was greeted with a sight that most certainly was not a salesperson.

The two girls who stood outside of her door were completely identical. They were dressed casually, as Atlas uniforms would have stood out far too much, but the fact that they still looked completely identical regardless of how they dressed still made them quite noticeable.

It was two Ranis. Tsubaki had no idea if they were the ones she had met before or not, given that there were apparently at least five of them, but it was impossible not to recognize the child-like, dark-skinned girls.

"I am Rani III," the first of the two Ranis introduced herself, "And this is Rani IV."

The second Rani nodded her head. So it was one she already knew, and the other she hadn't met before… but what were they doing here?

"But why are you here?" she asked, looking between the both of them. Atlas hadn't contacted her in a month, and now two of their homunculi had suddenly appeared at her door. To be honest, she doubted they had anything of particular value for her, and therefore her irritation was rather palpable. What were they going to do, tell her that she couldn't see Saori or something else of that nature? It seemed like the most likely option, in all honesty. That was how it had been during the Holy Grail War, there was no reason for it to change now.

Both of the dark-skinned girls glanced towards one another for a moment, before their attention returned to Tsubaki.

"Restrictions have been lifted on Rani IV's movements," said Rani III. Tsubaki frowned.

"I'm sure she thinks that's wonderful, but I know there's no way that's why you're here," commented the magus, folding her arms.

"You did not allow me to finish," said Rani III, shortly. Though she didn't seem outright annoyed, there was a slight shift in her tone. "Rani IV will explain."

Tsubaki sighed, heavily.

"What is it, then? What? Are you going to talk about how I'm not allowed to see Saori-san? About how you have to keep her hidden for some reason? That's all you would do whenever I asked a month ago. I can't imagine you'll do anything different now!" her voice rose as she spoke, her anger growing. These were the people who had just snatched Tsubaki way without hesitation, why should she continue to be polite to them!? "Isn't it enough!? Isn't it enough that she was kidnapped, that she suffered, that she became something other than human!?"

For a few moments, neither of the Ranis said anything. What could they say? Tsubaki was certain she had figured out exactly what they were here to do, after all. There wasn't any excuse that either of the homunculi could offer.

But then, Rani IV continued speaking, almost as if Tsubaki hadn't responded at all.

"The operative desired to come here of her own will," explained Rani IV, much to Tsubaki's confusion. Who was she even talking about? It certainly didn't seem to make sense to her. An agent of Atlas? Why was she supposed to care? This was the organization that had snatched away her friend. Even if she was a Dead Apostle now, it was still almost the same as killing her. She could only guess that they were performing some sort of experimentation that required a vampire, no matter how much they had assured her Saori was unharmed.

Perhaps it was her frustration getting the better of her that bore these thoughts, but that didn't change anything. At the moment, it was what Inoue Tsubaki believed.

"Due to her state of being, it is required that the operative move under the supervision of two of our number," continued Rani IV, "That is, for the time being. As Rani I, Rani II, and Rani V were required for other assignments, the request had to be delayed until I was cleared for release."

The operative's state of being…?

"I apologize for the delay," concluded Rani, and both of the tanned girls stepped aside. It was now that Tsubaki realized there was a figure standing to the side of the walkway up to her home, one she hadn't noticed previously.

When the figure stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight, the tanned magus drew in a sharp intake of breath, her eyes widening.

"… I'm sorry I couldn't come any sooner, Inoue-san."

For a moment, Tsubaki felt certain she had missed something, there was some detail that made it clear this wasn't the girl she knew. But it was impossible to deny it. The figure that stood before her, down to every detail, including the crimson smile indicating her vampiric nature and that small smile, was Yumimura Saori.

It was unmistakably Yumimura Saori. There was no-one else in the world who it could possibly be. Slowly, she stepped forward, still wearing that small smile.

"… I wanted to go back as soon as I woke up…" she continued, as Tsubaki was left shaking, speechless, "To… to try and talk to you again, and…"

She quietly averted her eyes.

"… To leave something to mark Caster's grave. I know she was your enemy, but…"

Saori bit her lip.

"… She… she deserves that much, at least…"

For a few moments, Tsubaki stumbled over herself, struggling to find some way to articulate how she was feeling. This was something that had, only a short time ago, seemed impossible to her. She never thought she'd ever see Saori again, let alone get a chance to speak to her. It was like a miracle to get a chance to even look at her.

"… I…they… they let you come here? Wh-what… operative? Are… you…" Tsubaki stammered, trying to find her words.

"… I guess you could say I've been sort of… informally recruited into Atlas, now," Saori replied, reaching back to scratch the back of her head, "I don't quite get it either but… The director said it was for the best. She said it was probably the only way I could fully recover, after what happened… Did… did you know? She said… she said she knew what I was going through…"

Saori averted her eyes, clutching at her arm with her other hand as she did.

"It… it was nice to hear someone say something like that…"

Finally able to articulate herself in some way, Tsubaki tried her best to respond.

"S-Saori-san… you're… really here!" she practically cried out, taking a step forward as she did. It felt… a little dumb to say, immediately afterwards. Of course she was really there. After all this time, that was what she said?

Both of the Ranis simply stood to the side and watched. Though… was Rani IV smiling, just a little? She couldn't quite tell, and there were more important things to focus on, anyway.

"I… I… I really thought I'd never see you again, S-Saori-san…" Tsubaki half-mumbled, "I… I didn't think we'd ever be allowed to see one another after everything that happened. I kept trying to find clues, trying to find some way to reach you, but I was starting to think it was impossible no matter what I did. But now… you're really here…"

The black-haired girl slowly raised her hand towards her friend. She wanted to touch her, to see that she wasn't some kind of illusion. After a few moments, Saori reached out and clasped Tsubaki's hand in her own.

"… I'm really here, Inoue-san," she replied, "I'm sorry it took so long, but Rani IV-san already explained why to you."

She paused for a moment, averting her eyes again slightly.

"… For a while, I'll admit that I didn't trust them, and I really thought I wasn't going to be allowed my freedom again… but the director explained to me why they'd taken me in the first place."

The Director… she had to mean the director of Atlas. But why would someone like that take an interest in Saori? Enough to treat her like this, at least… Tsubaki certainly cared for the other girl, but she didn't understand why the Director of Atlas would choose to care for her as well. Weren't they almost comparable to machines? Those working under the director, at least.

Certainly, the three Ranis that Tsubaki had met almost seemed machine-like, though it was obvious that they could think and feel on their own as well… perhaps it was a mistake on her part? Still, it didn't really answer the question… not that Tsubaki wasn't happy to see the outcome, but rather that she was still concerned about what may be done to her friend.

"But… why did the Director of Atlas want to recruit you? Why would she do all this for you? I-I'm happy but… but I don't understand…" Tsubaki trailed off. Even if she felt grateful towards Atlas for the return of her friend, the fact that Saori had suddenly be recruited, it was so strange to her… Prior to becoming a Dead Apostle, she had thought that her friend was an ordinary girl without any unusual abilities. So why… then… why had something like this happened? No matter what a good thing it had turned out to be… Tsubaki couldn't help but be concerned when she didn't know what the reason was.

"The Director has sympathy for those who have become Dead Apostles," said Rani III, suddenly.

"… Rani III-san has it right," added Saori, "… She's… she's a vampire too."

All at once, Tsubaki realized what the truth had been all along. Atlas had taken Saori not because they wished to use her for some kind of experiment, but because the director had sympathized with her situation. To try and help her regain a normal sense of self, to be able to interact with humans without harming them, that was the purpose behind their actions. It made far more sense then anything that Tsubaki had suspected before.

"… Then… that's why…" she trailed off, dully.

"Rani V-san refused to divulge more information for my safety," Saori added, "After… after Caster died…"

Tsubaki could hear her friend's voice falter.

"I was at risk from the other Masters and Servants… er… not you or Matsushita-san, though," she continued, "And I was a risk to other people, as well… I… it's not like it's disappeared. The need to drink blood, I mean. But… with the help of the Director, and the Ranis, I was cleared to be able to visit my friends."

"… If that's the case… then… do you want to come inside?" asked Tsubaki, smiling towards Saori. "We've got a lot to catch up on, don't we?"

Saori's own smile grew, but she hesitated for a moment and glanced between both of the small, child-like dark-skinned girls.

They both gave an approving nod.

"I can't stay here forever… but it's been a while, hasn't it?"

With that, both Saori and Tsubaki disappeared into the Inoue residence. Shortly afterwards, both Ranis followed.

No matter what happened next, Tsubaki was happy.

She got to see Yumimura Saori again.

* * *

Ai took a deep breath.

It was a month since the end of the Holy Grail war, and a little less than a month since she'd seen Alysvial. But… the Einzbern homunculus had invited her over this time, quite directly, and she couldn't simply ignore it. It would be wrong. No matter how awkward it would make her feel… Alysvial needed someone to talk to, and she wanted to be there for the little girl if she could be.

Besides, she wanted to see how Alys was doing since the war, anyway. From the sound of things, she was doing okay, but that didn't mean it was the truth.

The invitation had been received from one of the Einzbern girl's homunculus maids, just the day before. It wasn't particularly urgent, but it stilled seemed as if Alys was very eager to see Ai again. If nothing else, rejecting the invitation would have made the brunette magus feel guilty.

When she knocked at the door to Alysvial's mansion, the building as a whole still remaining hidden from the view of the public, it was shortly afterwards answered by a one-armed maid. Velvie, as Ai recalled, had been Alysvial's youngest maid, injured in an attack during the Holy Grail War that had cost her one of her arms.

In spite of this, she seemed to still be quite capable… That must have come from being an Einzbern homunculus. Being able to shrug off a grievous injury like that and resume working so quickly would be a valuable trait for a servant, and therefore it was something that Ai could have expected.

"Matsushita-sama," said the maid, her voice flat and unemotional as she bowed, "Ojou-sama is waiting. She is inside. Follow."

Ai nodded her head, quickly, her braided pigtails bouncing slightly before she followed the maid inside. Within the mansion, everything was much the same as it had been during the war. It was well-furnished, and maids were tending to various duties across the rooms as they proceeded up the stairs towards Alysvial's room.

As she went, Ai found herself wondering why Alys hadn't returned to her family home in Germany. It wasn't as if she thought the little girl had to… but if the war was over, wouldn't the Einzbern want her to come back?

At least, that's what Ai thought. Maybe it wasn't the case… Given the callous sort of person that the old man Alys had mentioned seemed to be, maybe that possibility shouldn't have been so surprising to her. The doors up ahead were the same as they had been before, and when two more maids opened the doors and beckoned her inside…

"Ai!"

The little girl leaped towards her and wrapped her arms around Ai. Looking at them now, it would be difficult to tell there was much of an age difference(much to Ai's dismay) but after a few moments they parted, Alys smiling brightly.

"I missed you! I was sad that you didn't come over, so I decided to send an invitation!" she declared, releasing Ai and stepping back. The brunette averted her eyes slightly, scratching the back of her head.

"Eh-heheh… I… just didn't get to it, I guess…" she half-mumbled. It wasn't a good excuse, and she felt guilty just saying it… but she didn't want to talk about Souji and drag down the mood. She knew that trying to talk about how she still felt wouldn't help anything at this point.

"Well, it doesn't matter, you're here now!" declared Alys, brightly, practically skipping over to the table, "That's what's important! We've got lots to talk about, Ai!"

That certainly wasn't something Ai could argue with. It had been a little under a month, after all, since they had seen one another. A lot could change in a month, and Ai did want to see how Alys was doing in the aftermath of the Holy Grail War. She noticed that there was already a tea tray on the table, complete with cups and a teapot. Alysvial's maids were already prepared ahead of time…

"Ivyrette is in charge of making the cake today," added Alys, cheerfully, "She's going to make something super tasty, she always does!"

"Was she the one who made the cakes…" Ai hesitated for a moment as she remembered the events, remembering that the last time she was here, Souji was too… but she managed to push onwards regardless, "… When… when we were here last time?"

"That's right!" declared Alysvial, sitting down and kicking her feet cheerfully. It seemed like the time at Ai's home, and after the Holy Grail War, had done the little Einzbern girl quite a bit of good. It's what Ai had hoped for, at least.

"Ivyrette is a specialist when it comes to cakes," she continued, "She knows how to make all the best snacks! I have one of the best bakers in the whole world working for me."

That was quite the smug smile, as Alys nodded to herself with her arms folded. No matter how else Ai was feeling, it was good to know the little homunculus never stopped being adorable.

"So, how have you been?!" she asked, suddenly, leaning forward. Ai averted her eyes slightly. Answering honestly probably would just drag the mood down…

"I've… been fine," she said, simply. There wasn't much else she could say without tearing down Alys's cheer, and she didn't want to do that. It was better to lie then to say anything that would drag the little girl down.

At least, that's how Ai felt at the moment.

"Oh, I see," Alys replied, nodding as she spoke, "I'm glad! I've been doing fine, too. I'm still… I'm still a bit sad about Berserker…"

She averted her eyes, faltering for a moment. Ai was concerned that perhaps the meeting was going to become a much more somber one, but Alys quickly bounced back.

"But the old man said I could just stay here! I'm not sure if he was too happy," she said, "But I like it here! It's really cold where I lived back in Germany, but it's a lot warmer in Japan!"

While Alys seemed happy about it, Ai couldn't help but suspect that the reason that the little girl was being left to her own devices with her maids in Japan is because the head of the Einzbern family decided that she had failed, and cared not to retrieve her. While that prospect was a depressing one, at the same time the outcome seemed to have made Alys happier than the alternative would have… so in the end, wasn't it a good thing?

Ai nodded to herself, slightly.

It was.

"I'm really happy I got to meet you, Ai," continued Alys brightly, "I don't think anything would have turned out okay if I hadn't!"

She paused for a moment, then glanced back over her shoulder. Following her gaze, Ai realized there was something sitting atop the dresser… it was carefully wrapped, in bindings marked with some kind of sigil.

"… Because of that, and because you were the victor, there's something I wanted to give you."

"Ah? Alys-chan?"

Without another word, the diminutive white-haired girl hopped off of her seat. Dragging a ladder over to the dresser, the little girl clambered up it to reach the strange package atop piece of furniture. With some fumbling, a few times prompting Ai to almost leap out of her seat to intervene, Alysvial climbed back down with it. The shape was strange, wide at the top, completely flat on one side, thin in the middle, and widening at the bottom once more…

It was actually quite familiar, somehow, even if Ai couldn't quite place it.

"The other half went home, and the old man said it wasn't any use to them… but I kept this half for you, Ai! You won it, after all…" Alys explained.

Ai's eyes widened as she suddenly came to a realization as to what was contained in the wrappings. It was what she had won.

In the Holy Grail War.

"A-Alys-chan, you really… i-it's really okay if I…"

She stumbled over herself as the red-eyed little girl unwrapped it. With the exception of being split in half, it was perfect. Not a single scratch marred its golden surface.

Unquestionably, it was half of the fake Holy Grail.

"Y-you're just giving this to me?!" she found herself blurting out. Even if it was a fake, it was still half of the magical artifact that had been the centerpiece of the Minami Holy Grail War. People had fought and died for the purpose of obtaining it… and even if all that remained was half of it. She… she had been the last one standing, but the fact that Alys was just giving it to her… was it really okay to do this? To just take something like this? Wasn't this something that should have been given to some sort of organization for safekeeping?

"You were the victor!" insisted Alys, smiling, "Even if it's a fake, even if the whole war was for a fake, you still won it. Even if it's just half of the fake Holy Grail, there's a lot of mana stored inside of it… probably more then most magi would ever use in their whole life!"

Her hands shaking slightly, Ai slowly reached out and took it. It felt like metal, but strangely warm… Even if it was just a fake… this was a powerful magical artifact. Her mind was boggling, what could she do with something like this?

"I think you might even be able to use it to-oh!"

At that moment, the door opened. A maid came in, wheeling a cart with a tray containing a pair of slices of cake. Both slices with black and white, topped with a creamy frosting and a deep red cherry. It looked delicious, but it was hard to think about something like that when she'd just been given half of the fake Holy Grail.

"I… th-thank you, Alys-chan," Ai stammered, weakly, as she slowly placed the half of the fake grail in her bag. She had no idea what else to do with it… something like that could fuel all sorts of rituals, almost anything she wanted! She never expected to even see it like this again… For a few moments, she was suddenly concerned, worried that something might go wrong, but… no. This object was no more evil then it had been before Pandora had tried to consume it.

"… You let me stay in your home, and did a lot of things for me," responded Alys, "So of course I was going to do something for you in return! You were the victor, so even if it's a fake, you earned it!"

The victor…

Was she really? Wasn't it Souji who had defeated Pandora? Even if she had used her command seals… claiming this without her Servant, her lover… it felt empty. But there was no way she could reject something like this. Not when Alys had given it to her so earnestly. Not when it was half of the fake Holy Grail.

It felt strange, simply eating cake after something like that. It was delicious, chocolate and vanilla with a light, fluffy flavor and the sweetness of the dark red cherry, but… it was hard to focus on the pastry when she'd just been handed half of the fake Holy Grail. What could she ever do in return for Alys? What… what could she even do with half of the fake?

Could she even do anything?

Ai didn't know, but… she felt thankful towards the Einzbern girl, regardless.

The short brunette spent most of the day after that at Alysvial's mansion. Alysvial had wanted to talk, and after everything that had happened… well, Ai wanted to talk with her, too, to see how she was doing. To reflect on how she had been right, in a way. It really was a fake Grail War…

By the time Ai bid Alysvial and her maids farewell and left, the sun was setting. It was a surreal sensation, walking home with half of the fake Holy Grail. It was still a massive amount of mana that could infinitely sustain virtually any ritual, and had been part of the system for…

Summoning… Servants…

Ai stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide.

The fake Holy Grail, regardless of its inability to grant wishes, had still been the system by which Heroic Spirits were brought into the world as Servants. It was a huge amount of mana, as well, to catalyze such a process.

Certainly, half of the fake grail couldn't possibly summon Seven Servants. But… it was possible… it was possible…

It was possible that it could summon one.

Matsushita Ai found her slow walk breaking into a sprint. She had never been a very fast person, but even as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky, soon a sliver of light over the horizon, she managed to spur herself onwards.

She had half of the system that summoned Servants. She still had the katana she had used as a catalyst in order to summon her Servant.

If there was any chance, even the smallest sliver of hope that she could possibly achieve this one desire…

This was it!

By the time Ai reached her mansion, it was dark outside. She paused only a moment, to catch her breath, before hurrying up the stairs as fast as she could, before either Marianne or Charlotte could greet her properly.

A small part of her short brunette reminded herself that she would have to apologize to them later.

When she reached her room, she immediately made her way towards the desk. On it, sat Souji's most trusted sword, sheathed and resting on its display stand. The Kiku-Ichimonji Norimune. The small girl could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she wrapped her fingers around the sheath, lifting it off the display stand and holding it close to her heart.

This was her only chance, wasn't it? The one opportunity she had to achieve what she so desperately wished for.

In this way, perhaps the remaining half of the fake Holy Grail truly was an omnipotent wish-granting device.

At least, it was for her.

Ai turned as soon as had the sword in hand, sprinting back out of her room and down the stairs, towards the basement. The circle she had used so long ago was still there. She had never cleaned it up. She couldn't bring herself to, not when it was another reminder of Okita Souji.

Right now, she was even more thankful for her own reluctance.

Of course, she had no idea if this would actually work. After all, there was no Holy Grail War occurring. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try. She had to try.

It was her last hope.

As Ai arrived in the basement, her first course of action was to place half of the fake Holy Grail, along with the katana, in the center of the circle. It was the first step. Then, she collected what remained of the chicken blood she had used the first time she'd performed a summoning. The entire time, her heart was beating faster and faster. What if it didn't work?

She couldn't allow herself to think like that.

The small brunette poured out the vial. Red splattered across the chalk outline of the circle. Ai's hands trembled.

Her chances were probably slim. She hadn't taken any time to think it over. Why would she be able to force the system for summoning Servants to respond to her will when there was no Holy Grail War occurring? But…

But if Ai didn't try, how would she know one way or the other?

The magus stepped to the side of the circle. She raised one shaking hand over it.

"Let silver and steel be the essence."

For a few moments, as she began to recite the incantation, nothing appeared to happen. There wasn't a single glow, nor flash of light, nor any sign of the strange mist that had risen out of the circle. For a few moments, even as she spoke, Ai began to believe that the summoning ritual was nothing more than a failure. That there really was no chance something like this could have worked.

But then…

Light. Light began to flow along the shape of the circle. Flowing through its intricate patterns, illuminating the basement. Mist began to rise from it, swirling and swelling. It was working? Was it really working!? Even though there was no Holy Grail War, even though there was only half of a fake Holy Grail, was she actually… could it actually be…?

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of balance…!"

As she spoke the final words of the ritual, there was a brilliant flash of light from the center of the circle, and a sound almost like a small explosion. A wave of force hit Ai, and with a yelp she was knocked off of her feet, landing on her backside.

The room had filled with mist.

She could barely see anything at all. But… She couldn't make out the outline of a figure, as she sat up. It didn't look like anything had happened. And, certainly, there hadn't been an explosion the first time that she had performed the summoning ritual.

Ai's shoulder's sagged, as, slowly, the mist started to fade.

She'd failed, hadn't she? She'd placed so much hope on this one chance, the only chance, that she'd received so suddenly…

But hope on its own couldn't do everything.

As Ai began to rise, she failed to notice the faint hint of red on the back of her right hand, slowly growing stronger.

But what she did notice was something that froze her right in place. The more the thick mist cleared, the more it revealed something shimmering within it. That shimmering light began to become clearer… it was the shape of a person.

A girl.

Her white hair in a short ponytail. Her silver-gold eyes full of vigor. Her beautiful, soft features… her pale skin… her body clade in a blue and white kimono with a black scarf…

"Servant Saber, Okita Souji!" declared the figure, bowing, "Are you my… Ma… ster…?"

Her eyes widened as she realized just who had summoned her.

Ai stood, shaking, as tears began to flow down her cheeks. She was really there. Souji was really standing there before her. The fake Holy Grail, the katana, both had been able to call her once again.

Slowly, Souji stood up straight. A small smile came to her lips, as she averted her eyes.

"… After I… I left you… I'd been hoping you'd find a way in those last moments, but I didn't know if… I… eh-heheh…"

Ai didn't say anything.

Instead, she ran to the center of the circle, throwing her arms around her Servant. Pulling the taller girl down, her lips met Souji's. The two girls embraced one another in the fading mist.

Ai would never let go again.

* * *

Author's Note:

So... wow. This is my very first fanfic, the very first story in general that I've written that's been this long. ^^; So I guess that's definitely a first for me, eh-heh. I... honestly don't really know what to say. Working on this got rough sometimes, and I'm sure it shows with some rough patches in the story's writing. But... it was fun. I really enjoyed writing it even when it got a little bit harder to go on.

The Nasuverse is one of my favorite fictional universes, and with all the stuff that's been coming out for Fate recently I just got really inspired last year I guess. If I had to pinpoint exactly when it might have happened, I'd probably say when I saw the trailer for the GudaGuda 3 event in FGO. The gorgeous scenes of Okita fighting her Alter Ego self in that trailer just got me really excited to write something featuring her as a main character. And I did! The very first thing I wrote for this fic was a version of the Saber vs Assassin fight. In fact, the fight in the final version of the fic is largely unchanged from the version I wrote back then.

I deliberated a lot over how to end it, and I finally decided that there was no way I could leave it on a bitter note without Ai and Okita reuniting. I'm just not mean enough to do something like that. ^^;

But in the end, I think there's only one more thing I can do.

Thank you, to everyone who read and enjoyed this fic.

Thank you, to everyone who supported me all this time.

Thank you, to all my friends who helped me work out ideas and reassured me I was writing these characters properly.

Thank you, to one of my very best friends, who helped me proofread most of it and ensured that I wasn't writing something that read like complete nonsense.

Thank you, Kinoko Nasu, for creating such a wonderful and creative universe that's inspired me time and time again.

Thank you, everyone.

See you soon!


End file.
